The new professional is an AI collaborator

The rise of generative AI sometimes feels like a tsunami: everything is becoming faster, smarter, and cheaper. Yet AI's greatest strength lies not in its speed, but in its ability to fundamentally change our work. Not only in the tech world, but especially outside of it. In healthcare, education, the creative sector. That is precisely why, according to Fontys researcher Erdinç Saçan, AI is not a technical theme, but a social issue. It touches the core of our craftsmanship: what makes a human being indispensable when the machine does the groundwork?

The new professional is an AI collaborator

It is a misconception to think that AI will take over our jobs. What will disappear are tasks that do not require creativity, context, or empathy. What will remain, or rather, become more important, is the human touch. The new professional knows how to collaborate with a language model, how to recognize quality, and how to make ethical choices. This applies to marketers, HR professionals, and nurses alike.

A doctor who understands AI is better able to communicate with patients. A lawyer who uses AI can translate legislation into clear advice more quickly. An education professional who uses AI wisely creates more space for personal guidance. AI skills are not a luxury, but the new normal.

From knowing to weighing

Professionals are at a crucial stage: a few years of work experience, the first steps toward specialization or leadership. They know how the field works. But knowing is no longer enough. Generative AI forces us not only to work differently, but also to make choices. What do you entrust to the machine? What do you do yourself? What is good enough, and when should you intervene?

The answer is rarely black and white. AI helps you get to 80% faster. The real added value lies in that last 20%—human judgment, nuance, the courage to say no to a model's outcome.

No friction, no direction

AI presents us with new questions, and that causes friction. Not everything needs to be overhauled, but nothing will remain as it was. Those who learn to work with generative AI now will not only have a head start, but also a better grasp of their own role, their profession, and their future. That's not hype. That's reality.

Bron: Fontys.nl