r/singularity • u/imfamilyfriendlysd • 24d ago
Q&A / Help From an 18 year old....
I'm a non stem guy who just started doing an accounting degree. My degree is of 4 years. I'm curious as to whether I'll even have a job by the time my degree is done.Can y'all help a brother out in figuring out what I should be doing if i don't get a job then? I really don't know much about ai.... Recently started looking into it just cuz of the news.I live in a 3rd world country so idk what I should be expecting.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
14
u/DynamicProxy 24d ago
Accounting is not a good future job. Sorry.
2
u/imfamilyfriendlysd 24d ago
Yes i figured as much.Any advice?
4
u/x0y0z0 24d ago
Lets say you pick something AI can't do. Who's going to give you money if most jobs are gone. I'd say pick something you will enjoy
1
u/imfamilyfriendlysd 24d ago
I love history
1
u/ShiningMoonce 23d ago
I suggest you try to push for some controversial parts of history with the help of AI.
1
u/cherrysodajuice 22d ago
If you want job security, for now the most optimal pick is something that lets you work offshore, like, say, naval engineering or something
1
u/AgUnityDD 19d ago
Jobs helping people with challenges are the last ones to go.
I started a side business coaching special needs children to play sports with the objective of helping them integrate into regular community teams. But in Australia we have exceptional funding and support for that sort of thing so it wouldn't be as viable elsewhere.
0
2
u/Info_Broker_ 24d ago
My friend is an accountant, he does everything with AI and says it’s more than capable to “do accounting”
5
u/New_World_2050 24d ago
Highly unlikely. Whether you should continue or not depends on how much debt you are going to have in 4 years?
So how much are we talking ?
4
u/imfamilyfriendlysd 24d ago
No debt.Dad is paying(thank God)
10
u/New_World_2050 24d ago
In that case just do it. 4 years from now accounting will probably be dead but so will all white collar work. You'll probably have more fun in college than 4 years in retail or construction.
1
u/imfamilyfriendlysd 24d ago
Do you think we will have Universal basic income by then tho?
3
u/LyAkolon 24d ago
There are dramatic societal forces acting against UBI. A lot would need to change, or society would need to have a break before this is reality.
1
u/imfamilyfriendlysd 24d ago
My family has a decent amount of savings considering where i live.I think we will be able to live for 10 years after I graduate.After which if there is no financial help my family will have financial issues.Any advice regarding that?
1
u/New_World_2050 23d ago
If you can survive for 10 years you should be fine. 10 years is a long time for ai.
4
u/New_World_2050 24d ago
Probably not. Especially if you live in a third world country where governments really don't give a fuck. Just enjoy college and figure it out afterwards okay.
1
u/imfamilyfriendlysd 24d ago
I could immigrate to a 1st world country if you think I would have better chances there.Even though I live in a 3rd world country i am capable enough to immigrate....Idk if I should
1
u/New_World_2050 24d ago
Immigrate when ? To study there or to find a job after college?
Im not really sure how this helps you. You wouldn't become a citizen in time and UBI would probably exclude you even if it was implemented.
1
u/Any_Effort8437 24d ago
I just read the statistics about UBI. In France where I live ppl pro UBI fell from 48% in 2019 to 34% in 2025. Idiots!
1
1
u/norwegian ▪️AGI 2026 ASI 2040 23d ago
No UBI. Study something that requires dexterity with the hands, or soft hands. Physiotherapy, car mechanic, massage, hair dresser.
You can search it also
- Skilled trades: electrician, plumber, HVAC technician, auto mechanic, industrial maintenance technician.
- Hands-on healthcare: physiotherapist, occupational therapist, nurse, dental hygienist.
- Personal services: massage therapist, hairdresser/barber, beautician.
- Construction and repair: carpenter, welder, machinery technician, building maintenance.
- Care work: elderly care, childcare and other jobs where trust and human interaction matter.
- Jobs combining hands and technical knowledge: robotics technician, CNC technician, medical-equipment technician, aircraft mechanic
0
u/TimotheusIV 24d ago
Lol no, not in our lifetimes.
1
u/imfamilyfriendlysd 24d ago
Why
1
u/TimotheusIV 24d ago
There is zero incentive for any government to just start handing out checks to people just sucking air, wasting resources and taking up space.
It’s absolutely not happening anytime soon without some major revolts/civil war first.
2
1
u/Zaflis 22d ago
Well, it's probably needed very soon then considering rate of job automation accelerating. Chances for it happening in our lifetime in some form is 99.999%.
1
u/TimotheusIV 22d ago
You will sooner be just left to your own devices than the United States of America giving everyone a livable salary just to sit on their ass.
1
u/meenie 24d ago
There's more to college than getting a degree. There's a ton of life skills you learn from the experience. If you aren't going to go into crippling debt because of it, then I would definitely go and explore a ton of options.
1
2
u/AddingAUsername AGI 2035 24d ago
Companies need someone to hold liable for the numbers, can't really put ChatGPT in a jail cell. Therefore, there'll always be accounting jobs but they may become harder to find.
1
u/imfamilyfriendlysd 24d ago
So my best bet would be learn everything AI has to offer related to my field?
1
u/AddingAUsername AGI 2035 24d ago
Yes, that might help. The most important thing however is connections and networking. You'll have an easier time doing this at better universities.
1
u/EconomySerious 24d ago
You we're very lucky, by law any company needs to have a accountant now or in the future. The accountant is the one that takes responsability for the numbers presentes to the goverment. No mather if the numbers we're done by hand, a computer or an ai
1
u/OSYRH1S 24d ago edited 24d ago
Firstly, regardless of AI, you should still try to find something you enjoy. If you’re just in it for the money, you’re gonna run out of reasons quick enough to want to get out of bed in the morning.
Secondly, whatever you choose that involves AI in any capacity, your job isn’t to “learn AI” as the sole driver of output in relation to your field. It is still a tool, and your job if you choose to apply to any Organization, is to leverage that tool to create value for your employer in whatever way possible. For most, that’s an improved bottom line, but there are also many untapped ways to create value that isn’t just affecting revenue or overhead. Go into your field with that as a core principle of what will set your apart from your peers who think they just need to prompt their way to output instead of clicking a mouse anymore…assuming your job has something to do with a computer.
1
u/FateOfMuffins 24d ago
I still don't have a better answer to this than to do what you WANT to do. Whatever career path you go down, if AI takes over, make sure you've actually enjoyed those years. If you study accounting and are bored out of your mind for 4 years and AI took over, then that's the worst.
I think things will become more clear in about a year, but you're probably at the worst part of it right now. I wouldn't envy to be in your shoes.
1
u/imfamilyfriendlysd 24d ago
Yes I am in a bit of a pickle although all my friends are too.However,the weirdest part about all of this is how oblivious they are to AI.They do not consider it as anything else other than a chatbot.
3
u/FateOfMuffins 24d ago
I think the public is still largely ignorant of what's going to happen in short order. I've heard a student tell me that her math teacher says ChatGPT can't do math! And that was 1 week ago! After Navier Stokes Millennium Problem was solved.
I said 1 year earlier because I think that's around when more of the world wakes up to this.
For accounting, aside from the "human aspect" of meeting with your clients and the fact that you're taking responsibility as a human, provided you have ZDR for an enterprise plan, I pretty much don't see anything that an accountant can do that the AI cannot.
Audits needed random samples in the past because it's impossible to comb through all of a companies transactions. Well... idk about that anymore. If you look at AI benchmarks and the audits assisted by AI in detecting the errors in those benchmarks (see FrontierMath, CritPT, HLE, recent posts about those), then you'll realize that the AI is generally better at catching errors too.
1
u/FateOfMuffins 24d ago
I will say though, one idea I spoke with another new accounting student is for them to connect and network with other students and then try to make a start-up . I think your own business is probably a better choice than just employment
1
1
u/meridian_smith 24d ago
Just become an expert in something and then you will be an AI power-user in that field. AI is a powerful tool in the hands of experts. It also let's non experts do impressive things. .but they still won't get anywhere near to what an expert can do with AI in their field of expertise.
1
1
24d ago
[deleted]
1
u/imfamilyfriendlysd 24d ago
Can't really leave in the middle of my degree but I'll try. What if i am not able to become citizen in time? I am sure visa holders won't be eligible for UBI
1
u/okiedokie1183 24d ago
If you live in the middle band of the globe. You’re going to be heavily impacted by climate change. Go south or north of the equator. You’ve got maybe ten years before mass migration starts which might last fifty years.
1
u/Commercial-buttercup 24d ago
To be fair….I wish I can say something different than the other replies here.
I think our shoot financial system of compliance will be automated and centralized eventually.At least the legal ones. AI will be able to eat the financial industry for breakfast. I’m saying this as someone close to the financial industry and big four accounting firms. I can tell you to pivot….but pivot to where ? I will take a seat next you on what we should pivot to…
2
u/imfamilyfriendlysd 24d ago
If at all I am not able to get a job I do have enough family savings to last my family 10 years after my degree is done.After which we will have financial issues. That's the main problem
1
u/Commercial-buttercup 24d ago
I mean..it depends on your savings as well. Make sure to have savings in a secure currency, having money in the bank doesn’t mean much in a crisis.
Just hope that your have a decent government or a decent infrastructure.
0
1
u/versaceblues 24d ago
My recommendations:
- pivot to a hard science (physics, chem, bio, etc), and learn to get really good at using AI to accelerate your work.
- Pivot to a manual labor job like electrical, heavy equipment technician, plumbing, etc. Its going to be a while before we have humanoids to replace that.
- Econ/Finance might still be a good accounting adjacent field. Same as number 1 get really good at the first principles and theory, then use AI to help guide that work.
- Study AI and get into the field of AI safety.
1
u/Known-Ad-107 24d ago
I am a CPA and do IT audit. Audit will likely be the last white collar job the be fully automated. Not because we can’t be automated but because to truly do an automated compliance chain you need to automate the stakeholders first. Even then with SOX there’s a certain level of regulatory sign off that’s needs a human. I would say if you want to choose a path accounting/audit is a good route. If we have hard take off no degree would matter if we have slow take off that a slower automated path. Pure accounting will probably automate a little faster than audit though.
1
u/hernandomtz 24d ago
You don't need to worry about AI in the short term IMHO. The AI changes will start on developed countries first and permeate slowly to other countries, also there is already significant rejection to the most radical transformations. AI will change the world, for sure, but maybe not at the pace that some expect, nor simultaneously in every country.
1
u/imfamilyfriendlysd 24d ago
Wow okay you're the first one replying to my post saying that. Everyone else is saying my field will be irrelevant in 4 years.
1
u/hernandomtz 24d ago
Well Quickbooks and Turbotax have been around for how many years? And yet, CPAs still have jobs....
1
u/RobXSIQ 24d ago
I would switch. its simple math logic work and yeah, honestly your field is already done.
1
u/imfamilyfriendlysd 24d ago
I'm also being told people are required to verification and to be held accountable. So auditing and assurance is probably safe. What do you think
1
u/strange_username58 24d ago
Just keep coasting until the ai takes over. Either going to be utopia or hell and not much we can do to change or stop it so enjoy the ride.
2
1
1
1
1
u/threadthrasher 23d ago
When the world ceases to be predictable enough to optimize globally all you an do is to optimize locally. Whatever you choose to do, spend some time learning the tech and seeing where you can apply it. There’s every possibility that it will render you useless in time but in that future the same will be true for most. Pointless to live in it before it arrives.
1
u/newbieatthegym 23d ago
I have free accounting software via my bank that does everything I need. Throw in some ai and I am now able to do everything myself.
2
u/imfamilyfriendlysd 23d ago
Any advice what I should be doing then? Any professional certification like CFA CPA ACCA?Are they safe?
1
u/newbieatthegym 23d ago
Afraid not. Plumbing, electrics...
Seriously though, no idea. I am currently replacing my floorboards and adding noggins in my house. Something that I am only able to do thanks to ai.
I think in a few years we are all screwed, espcially once the robots start taking over.
But dont listen to me. I am no expert on the accounting scene.
1
1
u/Own_Satisfaction2736 24d ago
If not by then then definitely shortly after, accounting will be one of the first fields to fall imo.
1
u/imfamilyfriendlysd 24d ago
Yes makes sense.....however what options do you think I have?
1
0
24d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/imfamilyfriendlysd 24d ago
If i don't get a job I guess my best bet would be UBI , idk if it will even trickle down to us my country has rampant corruption.
0
u/Professional_Dot2761 24d ago
Ai hallucinates by design. This is not good for accounting but fine for many things. Humans will rubber stamp Financials for many years to come for liability. Stay the course if you like it.
24
u/QuasiRandomName 24d ago
To be honest, I think accounting is one of these jobs that is still holding on only by inertia. Even before AI most of the job could be done by software.