They're Going to Replace You With Robots

The woman slammed her Gucci purse down on the counter, nearly knocking down a sunscreen display. Her face was twisted into a scowl. She was rude to me for the entire transaction, but she became vicious when it was time to pay for her items. She took out a gift card and tossed it across the counter at me. When I explained that the card machine was in front of her, she retorted, “If I wanted to swipe my card, I would have bought this stuff online. You’re lucky I decided to give you my business.” 

I stood there, dumbfounded for a moment. I worked retail, so I’d helped more than my fair share of rude people, but I was mystified that there were people who thought swiping their card was too much of a chore. I hesitated for too long because my manager came over to swipe the card. 

Before the woman left, she barked one more thing at me, “They’ll replace you with robots soon.” I was familiar with the phrase, as I’d heard it hundreds of times by then. Most of the time, it was uttered by concerned shoppers who had to navigate a self-checkout register for the first time. Every so often, it was from someone angry that their coupon hadn’t worked or that they hadn’t gotten the discount they wanted. 

I hadn’t thought much of it, since I’d never had issues finding a job, but after hearing the phrase for almost twenty years, I’m finally afraid. I haven’t received as many calls requesting interviews, and according to TikTok, AI is to blame. 

On the way to work, I heard an ad for an AI company that supposedly makes finding the right job candidates easy. The AI program would only show the most qualified candidates to the employers. This led me to question how AI knew which candidates would be the best. Would qualified people be excluded because there was no longer a person reviewing the applications? 

My For You page on TikTok became flooded with people claiming they were no longer receiving interviews, or that AI was conducting the interviews. Some of them claimed that they’d been hired without speaking to a human, while others claimed that they’d sent out hundreds of resumes and haven't received a single interview request. 

I have never had an issue landing a job until now. I’ve been searching for months and have rarely been called for interviews. The few interviews I have gone to have offered me less than my current wages and expected open availability. I’m already struggling to pay the bills and considering taking a second, lower-paying job to make ends meet. 

While I search for a new job, I'm afraid my current job isn't secure. If I lose my job, will I be able to find another? What will happen to my job once AI robots become available to purchase?  

I’ve recently stumbled upon news articles about people who have lost their jobs to AI. Those people are struggling with all the issues listed above, but they are also taking jobs that pay less to survive. That means fewer jobs for “unskilled workers” or workers like me who don’t have a bachelor’s degree. 

I’m unsure of what to do if AI takes my job. I have no savings, no retirement fund, and I’m not a cute young girl who can make money doing makeup tutorials online. I’m a forty-year-old woman who didn’t get to learn a trade because I was too busy working. I’ve often sacrificed time with my friends and family so that I could pay my bills. 

I’ve wanted to leave the retail field for almost as long as I’ve held a job within it, but now is the time for me to learn new skills and move on.