Category Archives: Sunday Stuff

My Thoughts, Sunday Stuff

AI-Resilient Careers (part 1)

The Qualities of AI-Resilient Careers

Artificial intelligence is changing the global workforce faster than any other technological shift in recent history. Automation, machine learning, and large language models are reshaping how work is performed, what skills are valuable, and which jobs are secure. While AI is taking over routine tasks, it is also creating new opportunities. The careers most likely to endure and thrive in the age of intelligent automation share a set of qualities that make them resilient. Understanding these qualities is essential for workers, educators, and policymakers preparing for the future of employment.

1. Human-Centered Interaction

One defining trait of AI-resilient careers is the emphasis on human connection. Machines may analyze data or generate content, but they struggle to replicate empathy, trust, and emotional intelligence. Roles that depend on interpersonal relationships—such as nursing, counseling, teaching, coaching, and customer relationship management—are far less vulnerable to replacement. These careers are grounded in human-to-human understanding, where subtleties like tone of voice, cultural awareness, and body language matter as much as technical skill.

For example, a nurse doesn’t only administer medication; they comfort patients, notice nonverbal signs of distress, and adapt care to the unique emotional state of each individual. While AI can assist by monitoring vital signs or predicting health outcomes, the human connection remains irreplaceable. The resilience here lies in emotional depth and relational trust.

2. Creativity and Originality

Another strong shield against automation is creativity. While AI can generate text, images, and music, it typically does so by recombining existing patterns rather than inventing something truly novel. Careers rooted in original creative expression—like authorship, entrepreneurship, design, filmmaking, or fine arts—require imagination, intuition, and bold experimentation.

Consider an architect. Software can generate building layouts based on efficiency or aesthetics, but envisioning a unique structure that reflects cultural identity, environmental needs, and human aspirations still demands a creative leap. Similarly, entrepreneurs who identify unmet needs and design entirely new business models are drawing on a type of creative problem-solving AI cannot fully replicate. Creativity thrives on risk, ambiguity, and personal vision—all qualities that resist automation.

3. Complex Problem-Solving in Unstructured Environments

AI excels in structured environments where rules and datasets are clear. But in messy, unpredictable real-world scenarios, human adaptability still reigns. Careers that require critical thinking, cross-disciplinary reasoning, and judgment in the face of uncertainty are more resilient.

Take disaster response teams. Algorithms can model hurricane paths or predict earthquake risks, but on the ground, responders must make rapid decisions with incomplete information. They weigh trade-offs, balance ethical considerations, and improvise solutions in volatile conditions. Similarly, policy advisors or corporate strategists must navigate shifting social, political, and economic landscapes, combining data analysis with intuition about human behavior. Careers demanding this kind of flexible, adaptive problem-solving hold strong ground against automation.

4. Ethical Oversight and Governance

As AI spreads across industries, careers centered on ethics, compliance, and governance are growing in importance. Questions about bias, transparency, accountability, and human rights require careful oversight. Roles like AI ethicists, legal advisors, policy makers, and compliance officers will only expand as societies grapple with how to regulate emerging technologies.

These careers are resilient because they rely on nuanced moral reasoning and societal negotiation—tasks far beyond the capacity of algorithms. AI cannot decide where to draw the line between efficiency and privacy, or how to balance innovation with fairness. Humans in governance roles must mediate between competing values, communities, and long-term consequences. This layer of ethical oversight ensures that the human voice remains essential in shaping the direction of technological progress.

Part 2 to be published September 28

 

 
Politics, Sunday Stuff

Trump is being played

Trump is being played, but Putin is the one doing the playing.

Every move on the global chessboard shows it. While Trump thinks he’s calling the shots, Putin has been setting the board, moving the pieces, and waiting for Trump to fall into traps.

It’s not about strength — it’s about strategy. Trump thrives on headlines, ego boosts, and instant wins. Putin thrives on patience, manipulation, and long-term power plays. One chases applause; the other chases control.

The danger isn’t that Trump doesn’t see the game.
The danger is that he doesn’t even realize he is the game.

My Thoughts, Sunday Stuff

The United Nations utter incompetence

The United Nations has once again proven its utter incompetence when it comes to matters of global importance — especially the Russia–Ukraine war. For years, the UN has positioned itself as the world’s peacekeeper, yet when the moment for real action arrives, all we see are empty statements, symbolic votes, and endless “condemnations” with no teeth.

The Russia–Ukraine conflict is a glaring example: millions displaced, thousands killed, cities reduced to rubble — and what has the UN delivered? Endless meetings. Vetoes blocking any meaningful resolutions. Bureaucratic paralysis while civilians pay the price. The Security Council, crippled by its own structure, allows aggressors to wield absolute power over outcomes, making the entire institution look like a stage for hypocrisy rather than a defender of peace.

And it’s not just Ukraine. Time and again, whether in Syria, Yemen, Myanmar, or countless humanitarian crises, the UN’s involvement has been characterized by delay, indecision, and a failure to protect those most in need. The pattern is clear: speeches instead of solutions, committees instead of consequences, promises instead of protection.

The world deserves better than an international body that claims authority but consistently shows itself powerless. Until the UN reforms itself from the ground up, it will remain little more than a talking shop — a monument to inaction while wars rage on and human suffering continues unchecked.

Sunday Stuff

Short and Fleeting Summer

A Short and Fleeting Summer in Saint John

   Summer in Saint John has always been a bit unpredictable, but this year it feels like we hardly had one at all. The warmth came late—July felt more like early June, with fog rolling in off the Bay and more gray days than golden ones. When the sunshine finally arrived, with its heat it felt like a relief, a quick reminder of how beautiful this city can be when the weather cooperates.

   But just as quickly as it came, it seems to be leaving. The evenings have already cooled, the breeze off the water has a bite to it, and a few early leaves are starting to change. Walking through the uptown or along the Harbour Passage, you can feel that quiet shift—the season is turning before we’ve had the chance to really soak it in.

   It’s always bittersweet. Saint John summers may be short, but they’re filled with a kind of magic: patios packed with laughter, markets buzzing,cruise ships dotting the harbour, and the simple joy of seeing the city in full light. Maybe that’s what makes it special—it never overstays its welcome, and we treasure it all the more because of its fleetingness.

Here’s hoping September surprises us with a few warm, lingering days to carry us into fall.

 

Sunday Stuff

A Read For A Sunday

The Perfect Job: A Life in Flowers

   For over fifty years, I have been blessed to work in what I believe is the perfect job—bringing beauty, comfort, and joy through flowers. In retail and wholesale, I have delivered blooms for every occasion imaginable: birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, births, and, yes, even the difficult moments like farewells and condolences.

   From the very beginning, I realized that flowers have a universal language. A simple bouquet can celebrate life’s happiest moments, offer comfort during sorrow, or mark milestones in between. Whether it’s a radiant spray for a wedding, a cheerful bunch for a birthday, or a gentle arrangement to honor a loved one’s passing, each delivery carries emotion and meaning.

   What makes this work so special is the reaction I see when I arrive—smiles, tears, laughter, and heartfelt thanks. No matter the reason for the delivery, people are always glad to see me. I’m not just bringing flowers; I’m delivering memories, love, and connection.

   Over the years, I’ve worked with every corner of the flower world—wholesale, retail, and personally delivering them into people’s hands. I’ve met countless families, celebrated generations of life events, and built relationships that span decades.

   Even after half a century, I still feel the same excitement as I did on my first delivery. The joy of making someone’s day never fades. I have no plans to stop—because as long as people have something to celebrate or remember, there will be flowers to deliver and smiles to share.

   In this job, every day is different, every customer has a story, and every bouquet carries a piece of my heart. That’s why, after all these years, I still believe I have the perfect job.

The 'Brittany' in Rothesay New Brunswick, Sandra Miller Floral Designs

Click For Sandra Miller Creations