Will AI steal our jobs?!

The short answer is no! But, it is most likely going to reshape what our jobs may look like.

Ultimately, AI is about automation, and we are already in a world where automation is in full flow. In the microbiology diagnostics lab that I run in my full-time job, we have an instrument called a MALDI-TOF - which is a high-tech and powerful piece of kit that helps us identify bacteria in minutes. Often, this replaces the more laborious task of "old school" microbiology, which includes using biochemical tests and microscopy. But do we still need skilled and highly trained microbiologists? YES! Because we cannot throw absolutely everything onto a machine without a critical eye, as we would produce a lot of expensive and meaningless data. AI cannot decide whether the colony you picked was appropriate. It cannot recognise contamination. It cannot interpret a mixed culture. It cannot tell you when the result doesn’t make clinical sense. And it certainly cannot judge when a sample needs repetition, or a completely different approach.

Automation handles the tasks. Humans do the thinking!

AI is simply the next wave of this long‑running transformation. It will take over repetitive workflows, pattern‑recognition tasks, and high‑volume processing. But our roles will evolve rather than disappear. We will spend less time on the manual grind and more time on interpretation, troubleshooting, method development and decision‑making.

People will always be needed, but our roles may look different. And honestly? They may even become more interesting!