This concern has become very real for many of us. I am a
Generation Xer (born 1965-1980), and we have been a witness to much of the tech
revolution and what a few years ago was science fiction has quickly become
reality. The truth is, there are many jobs that will be automated in the
future, and we know this because it has happened throughout human history. There
was a time when wheat was cut, threshed and ground by hand. Today, we plant
with a planter. We harvest with a combine, and we process wheat at mills across
the continent. Not to mention we ship by rail what in the past would have taken
hundreds, if not thousands of horses, carts and a driver for each one.
These technologies displaced workers from agriculture in
droves, and those workers went into cities to work in plants that allowed the U.S.
to become an industrial giant. This progress could not have happened without
some jobs being automated, but they still needed the human ingenuity to dream
up, design, build and run the machines. I remember the nice lady in the beehive
hairdo in the 1980s who had the price of every piece of fruit and can of chili
memorized at the checkout. Now it is a simple beep and it’s done.
The innovation that will happen because of artificial
intelligence in the coming years will be incredible. All of the dreams that we
once watched in The Jetsons may not be that far off, but those dreams
will rely on human ingenuity. You see, AI cannot think in a predictive or
dream-centered format. It can tell you who made it to the moon first, and it
can provide a step-by-step of what you would need to think about to get there;
but YOU are needed to dream the dream, and YOU are needed to have the skillset
to imagine what is possible.
As you think about those dreams, the first step can be the
hardest, but Lincoln Land Community College is here to help. Are you interested
in the upcoming election, but want to understand how it all really works? Have
you thought about opening up your own business, but don’t quite know where to
start? Are you curious to learn how humans think and interact? The LLCC
Department of Social Sciences and Business has opportunities to learn more
about all of these topics and more.
Elections course for fall 2024: This fall, LLCC will
host a class on elections that is being co-taught by subject matter experts,
Dr. Chris McDonald and Dr. John Vinzant, professors of political science. The
course is designed to help explain the intricacies of the American election and
is open for enrollment now.
Learn how to start your own business or
simply gain additional skills. In BUS 121, Introduction to Business, students
learn the fundamentals of business and explore business careers. As part of the
class, you also write a business plan that can be shared with investors to
help you launch your new endeavor! BUS 121 is offered both online and on
campus. You and your team can also enhance business skills while learning
firsthand how to incorporate AI into your business through courses in: Customer
Relations (BUS 115), E-Business Strategy (BUS 127), Excel (CAS 140), Human
Resource Management (BUS 130), Leadership (BUS 230), Management (BUS
204), Marketing (BUS 202) and others.
In the LLCC Department of Social Sciences and Business you
will find classes in accounting, business, criminal justice, economics, all
levels of education, history, political science, psychology and sociology. Our
faculty are outstanding and credentialed at the same level as those of our
four-year college counterparts. LLCC is the community’s college, so we keep our
tuition costs purposely low to make higher education accessible to all! We take
your education seriously, and while our quality is high, our cost is not. We
believe that the way to best help our communities is to provide the education
that you need and to deliver it how, where and when you need it.
You can learn more about our classes and how to get started
at the LLCC Open House from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 18. It is a free
event and will be held at our Springfield campus at 5250 Shepherd Road and at
our locations in Jacksonville (32 N. Central Park Plaza), Litchfield (1 Lincoln
Land Drive) and Taylorville (800 S. Spresser St.).
At the event you’ll have the opportunity to explore our
programs, speak with faculty and staff, tour select areas of campus and more.
Registration for the event is available at llcc.edu/open-house or by calling
217-786-2292. Walk-ins are welcome.
While we could all sit around worrying about artificial
intelligence taking over, the best next step to take is to prepare for how you
will be a part of the future and DREAM up the next big idea. The future of
humanity is only limited by our ability to dream and while AI may help us do
many things, all of the dreams exist in you! Unlock your potential, explore the
possibilities of taking a class this fall at LLCC.
Dr. Kalith Smith is dean of social sciences and business
at Lincoln Land Community College.
This article appears in What did the General Assembly accomplish?.
