The tech world had a moment of rare candor recently when OpenAI’s CFO openly acknowledged what many have long suspected: AI is fundamentally about replacing human workers. While the admission isn’t particularly shocking, the bluntness of the statement certainly raised eyebrows across the industry.

Working in tech myself, I’ve witnessed firsthand how automation has gradually transformed various roles over the years. What’s different now is the pace and scope of the change. We’re not just talking about streamlining repetitive tasks anymore – we’re looking at AI systems that can handle complex, creative work that previously seemed safely in the human domain.

Standing in my home studio, gazing at the collection of instruments I’ve gathered over the years, I find myself wrestling with some deeply unsettling thoughts about the future of music. The recent comments from a Berklee professor about AI music being better than 80% of his students have hit particularly close to home.

My old Yamaha keyboard sits silent these days, collecting dust next to the digital audio workstation I invested in last year. The irony isn’t lost on me - I spent thousands on equipment to make music, while today’s AI can produce surprisingly competent tunes with just a text prompt.

The ongoing debate about AI capabilities has reached a fascinating boiling point. While sitting in my home office, sipping coffee and watching the rain pelt against my window in Brunswick, I’ve been following the heated discussions about the current state of AI technology, particularly Large Language Models (LLMs).

The tech industry’s rhetoric about AI advancement reminds me of the early days of self-driving cars. Remember when we were told autonomous vehicles would dominate our roads by 2020? Here we are in 2024, and I’m still very much in control of my Mazda on the Monash Freeway.