Robots: What Jobs Are at Risk?
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The lack of skilled IT workers is hurting the deployment of emerging technology, according to a new survey from Gartner. In areas from cloud to cybersecurity, this crisis is expected to last for years to come.
Did you know that in the next four years that 6% of American jobs will be replaced?
The long-term prognosis is even worse. By 2025, roughly a quarter of all human jobs will be replaced by a robot. In twenty years, 35% of jobs will be automated.
Fear of this future and its impact on the economy has led to a global debate of robot vs human. How can the quality of life humans enjoy today be maintained if millions of jobs are replaced with robots?
What Jobs Are at Risk as Corporations Pit Robot vs Human?
In the short-term, there has been a lot of global attention on Tesla’s new driverless vehicles. This could cost millions of jobs worldwide as taxi drivers are rendered obsolete.
The next evolution in driverless technology is semi-trailer trucks. Soon, big rigs across the world will no longer require a human driver.
Another big story in the implementation of AI has been the replacement of fast-food cashiers. Huge corporations like McDonald’s have employed electronic kiosks to take orders.
Administrative assistants and secretaries are already at risk of becoming obsolete due to AI. Scheduling apps like Meet Sally are now available to optimize administrative tasks such as calendar management.
There are not many job fields that are off limits to the AI revolution. Doctors, mid-level managers, retail workers, and paralegals are among the many surprising careers that could be upended by AI.
What Will the Government Do to Prop Up the Economy?
World leaders are already making preparations for the robot vs human era. With so many jobs being replaced by AI, it is clear that global governments will need to provide more assistance than ever before.
Former United States President Barack Obama believes that a universal income will be required in the next ten to twenty years. In fact, Switzerland already debated a measure that would establish a universal income of 2,500 Swiss Francs, or $2,578 U.S. dollars, per year.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates suggested taxing corporations that employ robots at the expense of humans.
Without question, government’s role in stabilizing a robot-driven economy will be a heated topic of debate for years to come.
Will the Robot Revolution Be as Bad as Advertised for Humans?
While many economists are pessimistic about the future labor force, others believe the economy will adapt and create new jobs.
Many jobs will be replaced by AI, but others will emerge. Society must proactively retrain its workforce and steer college students into growing career fields.
For example, a new industry of workers will need to be developed to maintain and repair these robots. Other jobs will be created as technology advances. Just a few decades ago, no economist could have predicted a job field in which software developers invented applications for use on a smartphone.
Economic data from the past also suggests that the global economy will adapt to large technological advances, just like it did during the Industrial Revolution.
Technology should be viewed as a means to complement the worker, not simply replace it.
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