New Year’s Message from Jean Macdonald

Many people are wondering what the New Year will bring but I am asking you, and myself, what will you bring to 2025?

As you know I was studying and writing about Artificial Intelligence before Christmas. Today I can see we can expect a tidal wave of change, and it presents us with a choice.

1. We can join the many who are exhibiting various forms of denial, dismissal and hostility to AI and will probably be swallowed up by it.

2. Or we can be part of the minority who are prepared to learn about it and befriend it so that we can ride the wave and benefit from it.

I still have a lot to learn but I think one of the key things that will determine our relationship with AI is the quality of the questions we ask it and what we ask it to do for us.

So I decided to take my own advice and asked it, via Google Gemini, the following:

Jean – Good Morning Please write me a 300 blog post about the opportunities and dangers of AI to midlife women’s occupations and lifestyles in the next five years.

The answer I got back was a bit vague about the opportunities but said the following about the dangers:

Gemini – The rise of AI also presents significant dangers. Automation threatens many jobs traditionally held by women, such as administrative and clerical roles. As AI becomes more sophisticated, these tasks may be automated, leading to job displacement. This is a particularly concerning issue for midlife women who may face ageism in the job market, making it harder to find new employment.

Another danger is the potential for increased bias. AI systems are trained on data, and if that data reflects existing societal biases, the AI will perpetuate them. This could lead to discriminatory outcomes in hiring, promotion, and other areas, further disadvantaging midlife women.

Furthermore, the rapid pace of technological change can be overwhelming. Keeping up with the latest AI advancements requires continuous learning and adaptation, which can be challenging for some. This digital divide could exacerbate existing inequalities and leave some women behind.

So I asked Gemini a more specific follow-up question –

Jean – Please can you say more about opportunities for midlife women to be self-employed or start their own business? – and got the following response:

Gemini – That’s a great question! Self-employment and entrepreneurship can be particularly appealing to midlife women seeking flexibility, autonomy, and the chance to leverage their accumulated experience. Here’s how AI can further enhance these opportunities:

1. AI-Powered Business Tools:

Marketing and Sales: AI tools can automate social media posting, analyse marketing data to identify trends, and even create personalized ad copy. This allows women to reach a wider audience with less effort and potentially lower marketing costs.
Customer Service: AI chatbots can handle routine customer inquiries, freeing up time for more complex tasks or strategic planning.
Operations and Productivity: AI can assist with tasks like scheduling, project management, and data analysis, streamlining operations and boosting efficiency.

2. New Business Niches:

AI Consulting and Training: As businesses increasingly adopt AI, there’s a growing need for consultants who can help them navigate this technology. Midlife women with strong business acumen and a willingness to learn about AI can fill this gap.
Personalized AI Services: AI can be used to create personalized services in areas like coaching, tutoring, and wellness. For example, an AI-powered fitness app could provide customized workout plans based on an individual’s needs and goals.
Content Creation and Curation: AI tools can assist with content creation, such as generating blog posts, social media updates, and even video scripts. This can be valuable for women who want to start a blog, build a social media presence, or offer content marketing services.

3. Leveraging Existing Skills and Experience:

Midlife women often have a wealth of experience in various fields. AI can help them translate these skills into successful businesses. For example, a former teacher could use AI to create personalized online courses, or a former manager could offer AI-powered business consulting services.
The combination of human experience and AI capabilities can be particularly powerful. For instance, a woman with a background in fashion could use AI to analyse trends and offer personalized styling advice.

4. Overcoming Barriers to Entry:

Lower Startup Costs: AI tools can automate many tasks that previously required hiring staff or investing in expensive software, reducing the financial barriers to starting a business.
Increased Flexibility: AI can enable remote work and flexible hours, which can be particularly appealing to midlife women who may have caregiving responsibilities or other commitments.

Examples:

A woman with a background in HR could start an AI-powered recruitment business, using AI to screen resumes and match candidates with suitable jobs.
A woman with a passion for cooking could create an AI-powered meal planning app that generates personalized recipes and shopping lists.
A woman with experience in customer service could offer AI-powered chatbot development services to small businesses.

By embracing AI and leveraging their existing skills and experience, midlife women can unlock a wealth of opportunities in self-employment and entrepreneurship.

This has been a longer post than usual, but I hope you have found it useful both for content and as an illustration of how you can use AI.

Can you think of a question you would like to ask Gemini?
Go to the Google Apps square top right on you Google browser screen – open it and click on Gemini

BTW at the end I think it important to acknowledge AI
Jean – Thank you

Gemini – You’re welcome! I’m glad I could provide helpful information. If you have any more questions about AI, midlife women, or anything else, feel free to ask.

Do you see what I mean about befriending AI?
You never know when you may need an AI friend in the future – lol!

PS The two books I have found most useful so far are –

The Coming Wave – Mustafa Suleyman