I became interested in AI because it has huge potential to be applicable in any area of business. A lot of businesses are looking to add some kind of AI component, both tech companies and not. People want AI that’s customized to their own business use case, and there are a lot of opportunities to provide that. I think a lot of jobs will open up.   

 

The best way to get an AI job or gain skills is to dive into projects and see how AI can be applied. So if you’re interested in medicine, there are numerous applications of how it can be applied to medicine. That’s the best way to catch the eyes of employers. You can even start your own company. AI jobs are paying on par with software engineering, but a lot of the jobs are still elsewhere. There’s a huge opportunity though to have more jobs in Hawai‘i, and I think there’s going to be a growing demand. 

 

We have about 300 members of our AI group right now, and maybe 20–40 people attend our meetings. We discuss a different topic each month, and the primary objective is literacy. We talk about different AI tools, how they can augment productivity and how to use them safely because there’s a big discussion around ethics and safety.

 

People should know about AI’s strengths and weaknesses. There’s a lot of talk about replacing people with AI, but I don’t think it’s quite at the level to replace humans, and I personally think it’s not going to happen soon. There are problems, weaknesses and a lot of breakthroughs that need to happen to get to that level. I think it’s going to be more of a tool for augmentation, making people more productive, saving time and creating efficiencies.   

I don’t have an actual count of state employees working in climate resiliency and sustainability, but it’s been growing across departments, including the state’s Coastal Zone Management Program and Land Use Commission. The State Procurement Office is also integrating more sustainable procurement practices, the same for the Department of Agriculture. We also have climate adaptation and sustainability specialists in the Department of Transportation. These are just some of the positions we have. Not only are jobs in this field increasing, existing positions are being redefined or expanded. Positions throughout our state government and agencies are changing. 

 

There are also more jobs at nonprofits and in the private sector—that’s the exciting part. Many nonprofits, especially those focused on the environment and conservation, have been leading the charge on sustainability for Hawai‘i for some time. And corporations have expanded their roles, too. For instance, Hawaiian Electric has been working on a goal to have 100% clean, renewable energy by 2045. There’s also so much work in sustainable farming and agriculture. In aviation, you have Hawaiian Airlines trying to use less plastic and fuel. It’s also exciting to see housing developers look into sustainability when they’re developing new housing in Hawai‘i, knowing we need to be more climate resilient.

 

Young people are showing interest in these types of careers, but midcareer and even later career professionals are also moving into them. In the past few years, we’ve experienced several climate impacts here in Hawai‘i, and now public servants of all ages are integrating more climate resiliency adaptations and sustainable practices as we battle increased natural disasters, droughts, wildfires and coral bleaching.  

 

One thing that’s important in this field is that you need truly qualified employees in these roles and jobs. Otherwise, corporations, organizations and government run the risk of being seen as “greenwashing” or painting a false picture of their environmental commitment. It’s critical to find people who are passionate and authentic and have the experience and abilities to make change. They must be genuine and understand that we’re fighting for Hawai‘i, our resources, culture and people.  

Hawai‘i is poised to become a creative hub of the Pacific, not just as a production hub, but as an intellectual property development hub for stories representing our melting pot of cultures. But for this to happen, we have to support productions that come from outside Hawai‘i with more infrastructure and facilities. Productions would stay longer if we had purpose-built studio facilities that allow for multiple productions to take place simultaneously. We also need to enhance our film tax credits. These are things DBEDT is working on currently with lawmakers and the City and County of Honolulu.  

 

In addition to encouraging outside productions, we have to grow our local creative talent, including storytellers. Productions that are written, produced, directed and acted by local residents are a huge growth industry for us, and we’re seeing many of these projects getting licensed and having distribution deals.

 

We also need to develop facilities to support local training and local productions. We already have the Entrepreneurs Sandbox for creative space, and we want to see more of these facilities statewide. For instance, we’re looking at a Leeward Coast development to cluster many of the creative media and film crafts in that area.

 

As a state, we also have to do better at connecting students to creative industries so they can get jobs. And it’s not just kids—it’s adults too. I think, for instance, there’s huge potential in the animation industry, which can be done remotely from Hawai‘i. 

 

We have to become more self-reliant as a state, and our emerging industries can be foundational elements for this shift. You’ve got our gig economy and creative industry all working in line with the latest technology to set Hawai‘i up for now and for the future. 

Top Skills

2023–2027

• Analytical thinking
• Creative thinking
• AI and big data knowledge
• Leadership and social influence
• Resilience, flexibility and agility
• Curiosity and lifelong learning
• Technological literacy
• Design and user experience
• Motivation and self-awareness
• Empathy and active listening

Source: World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs 2023 report

The number of makers in Hawai‘i has absolutely increased since we started in 2017. New events and marketplaces have contributed, but technology also has lowered the barrier to entry. People used to need high capital to get started, but now they can use Instagram, Shopify, all those things to get up and running quickly and sell online to reach broader customers both in Hawai‘i and elsewhere. During the pandemic, many people lost their jobs, and the opportunity opened for them to dig into hobbies and try things. They realized they could make good money doing this. There also was emphasis on buying local and supporting each other. 

 

In Hawai‘i, we’ve always had a connection to culture, transparency and authenticity, and those things are trending right now globally. Instagram and other channels have made it easy to tell your story, and people are looking at who’s the founder, where they’re from, what are their stories and values. People are looking for micro brands now—it’s not about legacy anymore. 

 

So, all these things happening are creating opportunities for people of all ages, including kids and older entrepreneurs. A lot of our entrepreneurs are also moms, whose lives have shifted and need flexibility. We’ve had success stories where a mom quit her job, started a company, and now, five years later, her husband quit his job and works for her. 

I can’t imagine how I could function in a corporate world right now—I think I’d be a terrible employee because I’m so used to not being in a corporate environment. I’ve had a ton of anxiety about not knowing what I’m supposed to do with my life. I’ve had wonderful jobs as far as being well-paid, but I would always eventually leave those jobs. I used to worry, and think, “Is it because I’m a lazy person and not motivated?” But what I discovered now that I’ve experienced a fulfilling career is that I had to leave those jobs because they just weren’t the right fit for me personally. 

 

Social media has lent itself to us being able to do this kind of work because it’s given us a direct connection to the community and people. And nonprofits can communicate their stories in authentic ways that relate better to the community. The tools and platforms that are now available also lend themselves to entrepreneurial efforts like ours. Seeing so many different ways to run businesses through social media and such has allowed many more creative people to use their talents to support themselves, and the fear of the unknown is not as great. I used to think you get a job, put your nose to the grindstone and you’ll be successful. But now there are other ways to work outside of what is normal.

Everything’s been disrupted. We’re in the gig economy. We’re in the Uber driver, Uber Eats delivery world where instead of a salary with insurance, it’s $20 here, $13 there and lots of side gigs. A lot of people don’t have a main job anymore. My mom worked at her bank for 40 years, and I worked at a job for 15 years, and now, the thinking is “I’ll try to put in about a year.” Part of it is the shift to favoring quality of life and mental health. But industries are also being disrupted. I think the pandemic forced people to either find something to sustain them, or it gave them the best excuse to try something new. That’s what happened after I got laid off from my job. I could have been like, “Oh, I’m going to work for the state or find another corporate cubicle job.” But I thought, “I’m going to be my own boss and make my own schedule.” 

 

With the pandemic, we had the work-from-home movement, and now companies are trying to drag everyone back into the office. But now it’s easier to stand up and say, “If you don’t want me to work from home, then I don’t want to work for you.” Hawai‘i had always been an employers market. Now, I think the tides have turned, and employees have more power. 

 

Traditionally, Hawai‘i is slower to adopt things. But I do think we had to take a giant leap forward because of the pandemic. My former employer, for instance, totally disliked remote work and would not accept it. Now, they’ve had to adapt and allow some people to work from home if they want to keep them. I’m also excited because we’re talking about diversifying Hawai‘i’s economy. Making a living not working for the military, government or tourist industry is going to help make Hawai‘i a better place. 

People are not heading into 25-year careers, getting the gold watches and retiring anymore because the world is changing. Jobs are coming and going, especially with AI. So, it raises the question—what is the true value of college? Is a four-year degree or master’s degree as important or valuable as it used to be? Students are starting to ask, “What’s the ROI on the amount of money I’m going to invest in this university?” Because the world is not the same, this degree may not be worth what it used to be. Universities have to really look at their programming, and heavily market why that programming is really good, showing that there is ROI.

 

If you then work backward to high school, students are wanting to explore career paths before college. Think mini majors during high school. For some time now, we’ve believed at Mid-Pacific in students exploring different avenues of interest and graduating with international baccalaureate diplomas or with diplomas in the arts, Hawaiian studies, technology and a few other areas.

 

It would be nice if we all remove the age requirement that says, “You’re going to have to wait till college to explore that,” and provide opportunities for students to really explore a subject. They either say, “This is absolutely for me,” or “It’s not my passion; I know that now.” We’ve just saved them time, effort and money in college.