By Md Roman Sarkar
I want to share a little about my life, my daily responsibilities, and the way I have started thinking about my future as artificial intelligence continues to grow. I am not writing this to recommend a particular career, tell anyone what they should do, or suggest that one path is better than another. Everyone has different circumstances, responsibilities, and dreams. I simply want to share my own journey, what I experience, what I gain, what I sacrifice, and how I see the world changing around me. Everyone is free to understand my experience in their own way and make their own choices.
We are living in a time when AI is developing rapidly. It can help people write, design, conduct research, develop software, analyze data, and complete tasks that once required considerable time and effort. These changes are exciting, but they also make me think about what the future might look like. How will work change over the next five or ten years? Which skills will remain valuable? How will people earn money, build careers, and maintain financial security? I do not know the answers to all these questions. I only know that the world is changing, and these changes have encouraged me to think more seriously about my own life.
Boss / Job: My Perspective on Working for Someone
Working for a boss is a familiar part of professional life. A job can provide a regular salary, professional experience, a structured routine, and opportunities to develop new skills. Depending on the organization, it may also offer paid leave, insurance, and other benefits. At the same time, it comes with responsibilities such as meeting deadlines, completing assigned tasks, attending meetings, and fulfilling performance expectations. Working hours and personal flexibility depend on the employer and the nature of the job.
From my perspective, the most interesting part is the relationship between time, responsibility, and reward. In a job, I generally exchange my time and skills for an agreed salary. I may have a clear schedule and a defined role, but some decisions remain outside my control. Changes in company policy, management, or technology can also affect the nature of the work. As AI becomes more capable, I find myself wondering how different professions may evolve. I am not saying that jobs will disappear or that employment is the wrong choice. I am simply observing a changing world and thinking about what those changes could mean for my future.
University / PhD: My Investment in Knowledge
My PhD is another important part of my journey. Research requires patience, discipline, and continuous learning. My responsibilities include reading scientific papers, developing research ideas, conducting experiments, analyzing results, writing manuscripts, and improving my work through feedback. Sometimes, progress comes quickly; at other times, I spend days or weeks trying to solve a problem without getting the results I expected.
Through this journey, I gain knowledge, research experience, analytical skills, and the opportunity to contribute to my field. However, a PhD also requires a significant investment of time and energy. The financial benefits depend on my funding arrangements and future career opportunities, and completing a degree does not guarantee a particular salary or position. For me, the value of this experience is not limited to the qualification itself. It is also about the person I become through the process, the problems I learn to solve, and the knowledge I develop along the way.
AI is also changing the research environment. It can assist with programming, literature discovery, data analysis, and other tasks, but researchers still need to think independently, verify results, and develop meaningful contributions. Watching these changes makes me reflect on how research and academic careers may develop in the coming years. These are simply my observations as I continue my own academic journey.
My Personal Business: My Experience of Building Something of My Own
Alongside my PhD, I am also working on my personal business. This is a different experience because I have to think about customers, communication, opportunities, income, expenses, and future plans. My daily routine can involve three to five phone calls, following up with people, responding to messages, and planning what I need to do tomorrow. Sometimes, even when today’s work is finished, I find myself thinking about the responsibilities waiting for me the next day.
One aspect of my personal business is that I do not have a fixed working-hour limit in the same way a conventional job might. I have more flexibility in organizing my time, but that flexibility comes with uncertainty. There is no guarantee that every day will generate income. Some days bring opportunities, while others require considerable effort without an immediate financial return. I have to manage responsibilities, maintain relationships, and accept that not every decision will produce the result I hope for.
At the same time, this experience gives me an opportunity to learn about business development, communication, negotiation, and financial management. I can explore my own ideas and see how they work in practice. I also experience the pressure of being responsible for generating income and managing the risks involved. Building a business does not automatically mean having more free time or achieving financial independence. It can demand more attention than expected, and there is always the possibility of losing time or money.
I am sharing this part of my life because it is one of the experiences shaping my perspective. I am learning what it means to manage my own responsibilities, think about tomorrow, and balance immediate needs with longer-term possibilities. Whether this path ultimately develops as I hope is something only time will tell.
How I See These Three Parts of My Life
When I look at a job, my PhD, and my personal business together, I see three different experiences, each with its own responsibilities, rewards, and limitations. I do not see them as a competition in which one must win and the others must lose. I see them as different ways people spend their time, develop their abilities, earn money, and build their lives.
| Factor | Boss / Job | University / PhD | My Personal Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| My main activity | Working toward professional responsibilities | Learning and conducting research | Developing business opportunities |
| What I receive | Salary and possible employment benefits | Knowledge, research experience, and possible funding | Potential business income and practical experience |
| My responsibilities | Assigned tasks, deadlines, and targets | Experiments, writing, and academic progress | Client communication, follow-ups, and planning |
| My working time | Usually follows an agreed schedule | Varies with research and deadlines | Flexible, with potentially unpredictable hours |
| Daily calls | Depends on the position | Depends on research activities | Around 3–5 calls in my routine |
| Financial situation | Often more predictable | Depends on funding and future employment | Depends on business performance |
| Main pressure | Workplace expectations | Research progress and academic requirements | Generating income and managing uncertainty |
| What I learn | Professional and organizational skills | Research and analytical skills | Communication and business management |
| Potential benefits | Income, experience, and career development | Expertise and future career opportunities | Business growth and possible greater independence |
| Limitations | Less control over some work decisions | Significant time investment and uncertain outcomes | Financial risk and unpredictable workload |
| Personal time | Depends on workplace arrangements | May be affected by research deadlines | Can be flexible but may be difficult to protect |
| My experience of AI | Workplace tasks and skills may change | Research methods may evolve | Business operations and competition may change |
This table reflects my personal observations, not a universal comparison. Different jobs, universities, research projects, and businesses can produce very different experiences. I am simply trying to understand my own responsibilities and what each part of my life means to me.
Why the Growth of AI Makes Me Think About Tomorrow
The rapid development of AI has become an important part of how I think about the future. I see AI creating opportunities to work more efficiently, conduct research in new ways, and develop business ideas. At the same time, I recognize that some tasks may become automated, job requirements may change, and competition in certain industries may increase. The exact effects remain uncertain, and I cannot predict how every profession will be affected.
These developments make me reflect on the skills I am developing and the choices I am making today. I wonder how my research knowledge, professional experience, and business activities may serve me in a changing world. I also recognize that no single path guarantees security. A job can be affected by economic changes, academic qualifications do not guarantee particular outcomes, and businesses can face financial losses or technological disruption.
I am not sharing these thoughts because I have found a perfect solution. I have not. I am sharing them because these are questions I ask myself as I continue my journey. AI is changing the world around me, and I am trying to understand those changes while continuing to work toward my own goals.
What This Journey Means to Me
For me, this journey is about more than money, qualifications, or professional titles. It is about learning to manage different responsibilities while understanding what I want from life. I want to continue developing my research skills, gain practical experience through my business, and work toward financial stability. I also want to preserve time for myself and the people who matter to me.
Balancing these responsibilities is not always easy. There are days when I have more work than time, and there are moments when I have to think carefully about what deserves my attention first. I am still learning how to manage that balance. I do not expect everything to work perfectly, and I understand that some plans may change along the way.
My experiences may be different from yours. You may have a successful career, be studying at university, run a business, or be following a completely different path. Your priorities may also be different from mine. That is perfectly fine. Each of us has our own circumstances and must make decisions based on our own lives.
Why I Am Sharing My Story
I am sharing my journey because I want to express what I am experiencing and thinking about during a period of rapid change. I am not trying to convince anyone to follow me, leave a job, pursue a PhD, or start a business. I am not presenting my choices as the right choices for everyone. I am simply documenting my own experiences, including the benefits, responsibilities, pressures, uncertainties, and lessons that come with them.
Perhaps someone will relate to my experience. Perhaps someone will see things differently. Others may have lessons of their own that are completely different from mine. That is the beauty of sharing personal experiences: we can understand different perspectives without needing to make the same decisions.
I believe everyone has the right to choose their own direction. Some people value the stability of employment, others find meaning in research and education, and others enjoy building businesses. There is no need for everyone to want the same life or measure success in the same way.
Final Thoughts: My Journey, My Choices
I am still learning, still conducting research, and still developing my personal business. I do not know exactly what the future holds, and I cannot predict how AI will change my life or the world around me. I can only continue working, learning from experience, and making decisions as new opportunities and challenges arise.
A job, a PhD, and a personal business each represent a different part of my experience. Each gives me something, asks something from me, and teaches me lessons that I may not fully understand until later. I am sharing this journey as it is, without claiming that I have everything figured out.
This is my journey, not a recommendation. These are my experiences, not rules for anyone else. I am simply sharing how I see my life and the future, especially as AI continues to grow. You have your own journey, your own priorities, and your own choices.
I will continue building my future in the way that makes sense to me, and everyone else is free to choose the path that makes sense for them.
Same effort, different outcomes. Different journeys, different choices, and different definitions of success.