Will AI replace the Geek Guru or Get Your Skills Up?

Will AI Replace the Geek Guru

“It’s alive, it’s alive!” These are the words spoken by the character Colin Clive in the 1931 film--Frankenstein. When we think about “Artificial Intelligence” (A.I.), we typically think of ChatGPT, Midjourney, Copilot, and Sorrell. A.I., in its simplest form, brought a program to an automated state to recall information.

I remember playing games like Super Mario 64 for Nintendo64 and how hard it seemed to get the first star from taking down Bowser. Or how about the Mega Man saga? How crazy difficult it was in those days to beat the A.I. or CPU bosses; it was damn there impossible!

I'm sorry. I had a flashback to my childhood frustration, but life was easy back then; I just had to get to the next level and beg my mom to let me have five more minutes when dinner was ready.

Alright, where were we? Oh, right- okay, Dr. Frankenstein essentially builds a human to live after death. However, an interesting theme occurs throughout “The Monster’s” encounters with humans. Data will always reveal what is put into it- there is no corrective emotional intelligence in this being, so it begins to malfunction and turns into a killer when humans did not accept it. As automation and A.I. technologies are on the rise, making things easier, one may wonder if we are on the verge of the proverbial brink of the Frankenstein Monster being the CEO of Skynet.

Technology is slowly replacing everyday jobs, toll collectors, cashiers, and, possibly, the geek guru--never! Long live the geek; woah, sorry, I got excited there! Although A.I. technology is on the horizon, it will always need a human touch, not just programming for reasoning. However, are we humans almost too intelligent for our own good? Simple things like remembering directions, phone numbers, and calendar dates were all subject to mind recall. Now, we type everything into the computer.

How will A.I. technology affect the job market?

There is a projection that by 2030, most modern jobs will be eradicated by A.I. technology. A surge of innovation will take over the world, with automatic driving cars, precision robotic surgeries, and design and visual arts that can all be programmed to automate. A projected 6 million jobs are disappearing due to automation.

General AI and the future of work in America; McKinsey Center for Government July 2023

The push for technology will live on, growing the job market by 9.9 million jobs.

Long Live the Geek Guru

The central theme here is that the time is coming when the geek technical person will be the crux of the workforce in America. People are increasingly desiring to use their skill sets to grow their businesses. In the modern era, more people seek to generate their own income versus the 9 to 5 grind and capture the work-life balance.

There are only two choices now. In this life, you will have to either have a skill set to promote a business online or you will need a geek guru to assist with digital marketing. The time will come when you are either the geek guru tech or the client with a skill set. Soon, the world will be ruled in 1s and 0s.

Do you want to break into the tech world?

Well, you must first decide what route you want to take. The network solutions team, mainly routing and switching engineers, seems to have the most demand and heavy workload. If there’s a network outage at any time, your number is called, literally on-call.

What about P.C. repair? It is a beginner’s phase, but inflation at an all-time high may not be enough salary-wise. However, this is a great start to gain experience and get a foot in the door. According to Zip Recruiter, Salary.com, and Career Explorer, the salary can average about 45,000 annually.

Now, that can be a great entry point to get you to the next networking phase. As I stated, networking is an excellent salary, but expect no life. Unless you are skilled and the network Quality of Service (QOS) is on point, you may have some availability. However, your senior admin may have more opportunities for these perks.

The Pains of Education

Alright, it’s going to be a fight to get into the swing of learning something all over again, but nowadays, there are so many resources to educate yourself on any topic. My friends and I always say, hey, go to YouTube University--if you do not have the funds, or platforms like Edx, Coursea, and even Harvard Education have free courses.

To get the small certification, there may be a fee, but it will prove you have some credibility and even a willingness to learn. Looking into your education to be a geek is a small fee to get the skill set and technical jargon down. Understanding the terminology will result in the skill set coming with experience. All you have to do is understand what’s being said to start.

Get small certifications, big or small.

Prove a willingness to learn. Guess what? Yes, some humble pie must be eaten to maximize your growth potential. You will have to admit that you do not know. Like myself, you may have that jerk who makes you feel like you’re an incompetent idiot—ignore that, push, because once the knowledge is yours, then you will never be without it, increasing your demand and flexibility.

I enrolled in the Computer Network Support Technician (CNST) program at Lincoln Technical Institute to learn the knowledge as fast as possible in their one-year curriculum.

Check out my geek-tech guru blog for platforms to break into tech! 

You don’t have to be a Geek Tech Guru—Find Your Skills!  

Ever since COVID-19 hit, there has been an increasing spike in job loss and an increase in entrepreneurship; why? Because having a regular 9 to 5 job is slowly becoming a dead mantra, as it should be! No wonder why there was a surge in desire for hybrid and remote positions.

People realized that, in some cases, their work was more effective in the home setting without the headache of commuting to the office. I know, here comes the management team: “Work, work, work!” The only real reason for the office setting nowadays is interpersonal communication. It is good to meet face to face at times, but it was never the be-all and end-all.

Now, look at the graph to prove to you that the surge will be in personalized services. This means that people are looking to promote their own skill sets and businesses, which screams the need for digital marketing practices to promote your brand. It’s the internet’s survival of the fittest.

Get with the Program

There’s no point in fighting the current job market. Dr. Frankenstein said it in these words, “Now I know what it feels like to be God.” I wouldn’t take it that far, ha! But technology and entrepreneurship are on the rise, and if you want to be alive and live a fulfilling life, it’s going to take some skills of your own, or break into tech. For me, hey, I am your geek guru, ready to serve to help promote your business and grow your content writing in ways that the age of the internet desperately needs.