Wednesday, 19 June 2019
It’s not unrealistic to imagine a future where the standard administrative or data input heavy job is replaced by a machine that is almost always accurate, efficient and can work tirelessly.
In fact, it’s almost a certainty that to some extent, this will be the future.
Computer processing provides solutions to problems the average person can barely comprehend. For example, Google can use complex algorithms that tell us what we may be interested in… before we even know what exactly we are looking for.
Computers are now capable of listening and understanding; take a look at Alexa or google translate. The computer uses deep learning to take in this information, answer the question and provide an answer. They can also see; in fact, they often have better image recognition that human beings.
So...what does this mean for us mere mortals?
At a glance, it seems that we are destined to become inferior and inadequate when compared to our robotic counterparts. Demand for human jobs will be depleted and our lives will be dictated by the very machines we have created to help us...
Incorrect.
Yes, machines will make up some of our workforce – in fact, it’s estimated that the majority of work that is currently done by humans will be done by machines in 2022.
However, the World Economic Forum anticipates that the use of computers will create 133 million more jobs. Although 75 million of these will be displaced by machines, technological development will create 58 million jobs that don’t yet exist.
The human workforce will need to up-skill, especially within the aviation and tourism industries. Research based on Chief Human Resources Officers from 300 global companies suggests that the biggest changes will come in quality, location and permanency of roles.
Jobs which require human skills such as sales, marketing, innovation and customer service are the least likely to be affected by the developments made in AI.
Regardless of technological developments, it seems that human beings have a way of keeping themselves useful. When farming and agriculture were the main occupations, the development of tractors and assembly lines meant that workers adapted, and the production lines became stronger. By strengthening the weakest link, the rest of the work force can develop.
Human genius, creativity, greed and insatiability means that we will always find a way of creating new jobs and learning new skills. Computers do not have the capability of imagining an existence of something they don’t already know. They can’t imagine new products or business models. Neither do they feel empathy - emotional intelligence may well become one of the most important skills to have in the new, technological workplace.
Perhaps it’s more likely that the up-skilling of the workforce will result in the sharpening of human potential rather than making us redundant.
What are your thoughts?
Emilie x
Share this blog article: