The woman on the Zoom call was outraged when she saw an AI demo creating content at lightning speed: "We need regulation and policies on the usage of this technology! This is of the devil!"  

I understand her fear. She quickly realized that her current position as content creator could potentially be gone in short order, replaced by a $20-a-month subscription.

My mind went straight to the plot of the movie "Hidden Figures." There's a great lesson for us there.

The movie "Hidden Figures" tells the story of three African-American women who worked at NASA during the space race in the 1960s. Despite being brilliant and the best in what they did, they were going to be eliminated by computers.

In the movie, the main characters were mathematicians who worked as "human computers" at NASA. The newly developed IBM computers became their nemesis. However, they saw an opportunity to learn how to program computers.

By taking the initiative to learn this new skill, they made themselves indispensable to the organization and contributed to the space program's success.

Similarly, today, AI can perform technical tasks such as data analysis, but it cannot replace human skills such as creativity, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking. Professionals who develop these skills can complement AI and make themselves indispensable.

In marketing, for example, professionals can use AI to analyze consumer data and generate insights. However, they must still use their creativity and emotional intelligence to develop marketing strategies that resonate with consumers and build brand loyalty.

Like in the movie "Hidden Figures," where the women combined their mathematical expertise with computer programming to become indispensable, marketing professionals can combine AI with their creativity and emotional intelligence to achieve greater success.

In addition to developing skills that complement AI, professionals can also learn how to get the most out of an AI engine. AI engines can be incredibly powerful tools, but they require expertise to be used effectively.

Similarly, in today's job market, professionals who understand how to get the most out of AI engines can provide unique value to their organization and make themselves indispensable. By understanding how AI engines work and how to interpret their results, professionals can use these tools to make more informed decisions and achieve better results.

Instead of fighting this new development through legislation, internal policies, and other fear-based strategies, we should take our cue from these amazing women who made themselves indispensable by figuring out how to work with the new threatening technology and not against it.
 
Let's learn the lesson from "Hidden Figures" and become essential by developing expertise in areas that complement AI. By focusing on developing skills such as creativity, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking, we can remain valuable in the job market and contribute to the success of our organizations and, in the process, become indispensable.