AI will force a reckoning for doctors and lawyers
The port automation fight augurs what will happen when doctors and lawyers wake up to AI
The longshoremen’s strike in the US over automation isn’t just about shipping—it offers a glimpse into what happens when entrenched professions face the rise of automation. If AI can disrupt manual labor at ports, it’s only a matter of time before we see similar changes in white-collar professions like law and medicine. These shifts won’t stop there—AI will fundamentally reshape the nature of knowledge work.
Some speculation about how it could unfold:
Resistance and denial. In the mid-20th century, port workers feared the arrival of the intermodal shipping container, concerned about massive job losses. As the book The Box illustrates, this resistance delayed but could not prevent the inevitable shift. Today, as AI begins to impact complex professions like law and medicine, professional bodies like the American Bar Association (ABA) and the American Medical Association (AMA) will play the role of longshoremen. They will resist change under the belief that their work can’t be easily automated.
Union-like professional pushback. Organizations like the ABA and AMA function similarly to unions, protecting their members by controlling access to credentials and maintaining tight regulations. AI tools like Google’s NotebookLM are chipping away at these monopolies by allowing everyday people to analyze and interpret complex legal and medical information, undermining the gatekeeping power of these professionals. This undercuts the exclusivity of credentials like law licenses or medical degrees.
Elite entrenchment. Elite professionals will use their influence to restrict AI’s reach. Just as port unions are trying to protect their labor from automation, lawyers and doctors will lobby for regulations that limit how much AI can replace their work. For instance, they will push for restrictions on diagnostics or representing clients.
Displacement of routine work. AI will replace routine tasks first, much like port automation streamlines repetitive, manual jobs. In law, document review, contract drafting, and legal research will be automated, while in medicine, diagnostics, routine consultations, and administrative tasks will shift to AI. This displacement will impact junior professionals first. But AI’s rapid advancement means it will eventually move up the value chain, competing with more experienced professionals.
New value focus. The legal and medical professions, like the port industry, will need to redefine where human expertise truly adds value. Lawyers and doctors must shift their focus to areas requiring complex judgment, emotional intelligence, creativity, and deep human interaction—qualities AI struggles to replicate. For instance, lawyers will need to emphasize complex legal strategies that require understanding human intent, while doctors may need to enhance their bedside manner and empathy—skills that AI can’t yet match.
The longshoremen’s strike may seem far removed from the offices of lawyers and doctors, but the forces of automation are just as disruptive. Just as the intermodal shipping container revolutionized global trade despite resistance, AI will reshape law, medicine, and other knowledge-based industries. While professional bodies will attempt to slow progress, the relentless advance of technology will force these industries to evolv.e THe question is not whether AI will reshape these fields, but rather how quickly professionals can remain relevant in a world where automation is inevitable.