Smiling . . .

after initially cringing at this new article: “AI can’t replace humans at environmental compliance”

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There is so much fear out there about environmental job loss from artificial intelligence.

It will be ok. It will all be ok. It will be different. But it will all be ok.

Article Published Yesterday: “Why AI Can’t Replace Humans In Environmental Compliance”. Initially I cringed when I read the article. I thought of a farmer in the early 1900’s. I thought of that farmer telling other farmers that the tractor could never replace the horse because the tractor, though increasing in power, just wasn’t as smart and versatile. Yes, this farmer was correct. The tractor didn’t replace the horse. We still use horses. And yes, horses are indeed smarter and more versatile than tractors.

—“Humans will not be replaced in environmental work, but there will be much less of us moving environmental data from point A to point B.”

Embrace the future. Running away from it will not help you. It will catch you.

---“I can teach environmental professionals how to develop and work alongside artificial intelligence so that their intelligence and capabilities are augmented rather than replaced.”

---“The great thing about AI is that the environment needs more human genius … and less time spent moving data from A to B. If you really love spending your time moving data from A to B, you will not like the future. But if you like creating a C, D, E, F, and G … get ready.”

---“Our first job as environmental professionals isn’t to protect our jobs … it’s to protect the environment and serve our employer. Jobs will always be there if have this selfless approach.”

All is well.

All will be well.

@misc{anderson_2021_smiling,
  author = {Jed Anderson},
  title  = {Smiling . . .},
  year   = {2021},
  url    = {https://jedanderson.org/posts/smiling},
  note   = {Accessed: 2026-05-13}
}

Anderson, J. (2021). Smiling . . .. Retrieved from https://jedanderson.org/posts/smiling

Anderson, Jed. "Smiling . . .." Jed Anderson, June 9, 2021, https://jedanderson.org/posts/smiling.