AI & The Future of Work

Will you still have a job in the future?

--

This is where the journey had to inevitably end up. Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) is interesting and all, but what does it mean to me personally? Will I still have a job? What does the future look like?

Truth is, no one knows for sure. But there are a few indicators that help us envision where the Future of Work may lead when it comes to AI. What does AI mean to our livelihoods?

AI in the Future

“The Role Digital Plays in the HR IT Landscape “— Future of Work Media

What jobs will AI replace?

Some jobs are relatively easily replaced by AI, not because they are easy tasks, but more so because they are formulated and run by a set of rules and regulations, which can be learned from, adapted to, and used by an AI.

There is lots of speculation on which roles will be replaced, and perhaps some are far fetched, but I reviewed a few legitimate and realistic options that I found on HubSpot.

  • Telemarketing — unfortunately, this role already feels like it has been taken over by robots! Surprisingly though, even with automation, the conversion rate is barely impacted.
  • Bookkeeping Clerks — cheaper equivalents such as Quickbooks or Microsoft office software does a lot of the work for you, and there are standardized bookkeeping practices for the AI to follow.
  • Compensation and Benefits Managers — automation here is being increasingly adopted as companies across the globe need to reduce costs.
  • Receptionists — there have been scheduling applications and automated message receivers for years, but the number of businesses operating online, along with the reduced in-person office operations for this year and 2021, the need for this role has dramatically decreased.
  • Couriers — it seems only a matter of time before drones and robots take over, and with automated driving, in test phases, this appears to be edging closer.
AI Jobs
  • Proofreaders — in my experience Grammarly and these types of applications can do the job with less error and more quickly than a person!
  • Computer Support Specialists — with step-by-step guides, it will be easy to program software to answer simple questions. Hmm, machines helping to fix themselves, sound familiar?
  • Market Research Analysts — technology can manage and organize more data than any human and therefore is capable of deriving insights more efficiently.

Even in my limited knowledge, this list covers only a segment of jobs that are considered replaceable, and it is evident that there is an opportunity to simplify and replace the role responsibilities with automation or machine learning beyond these.

The larger impact is however that some jobs are unlikely to even exist in the coming years because of reduced demand and the non necessity of them.

Which jobs will be gone by 2030?

Automation, AI, and self-determined processes have already begun to replace some of these roles per Career Addict.

Job Loss from AI — Forbes

We have all influenced the transition or experienced the impact of the following:

  • Travel Agents — most people book online themselves these days directly through the companies or hotel web services.
  • Cashiers — it is common to use self-service checkouts, and some new retail models no longer have any personnel in store.
  • Librarians — most content is online and while there is a great benefit to studying at the library for students, a self-check-in and check-out of the building can be automated and online books make re-filing unnecessary.
  • Bank Tellers — most services are available through the ATMs and tellers are a residual vestigial service that we have continued for the elder demographic. Most business services are not available in branch and only through a central remote office.
  • Textile Workers — machinery can replace even the most intricate work requirements these days.
  • Postal Couriers, The Print Industry, Sports Referees and Umpires…

There are roles that may well stay around, not from necessity, but as a vestigial and sentimental course of action, such as librarians or bank tellers. But eventually, anywhere there are rules and regulations for the AI to follow, job loss is likely to be experienced.

Trending AI Articles:

1. Microsoft Azure Machine Learning x Udacity — Lesson 4 Notes

2. Fundamentals of AI, ML and Deep Learning for Product Managers

3. Roadmap to Data Science

4. Work on Artificial Intelligence Projects

The Future of Work

So if these jobs are disappearing, the next question is, what happens to the people in these jobs?

Funniest Movies — The Guardian

While I am no expert in this field I would like to think it will not all be downhill. I want to believe there will be an opportunity within this fourth industrial revolution as there was after each previous industrial revolution.

Industry 4.0 will bring new AI-specific roles and roles on the periphery of AI.

Roles within the field of AI

There will inevitably be roles within the field of AI, and it is important to understand the AI career landscape before we can navigate it. According to Springboard job roles in the field of AI might include:

  • Machine Learning Engineer
  • Robotic Scientist
  • Data Scientist
  • Research Scientist
  • Business Intelligence Developer

The knowledge and educational prerequisites will include skills and training that are readily available.

  • Computer Science
  • Coding expertise with popular programming languages such as Python, Java, Julia, Lisp, etc.
  • Physics, engineering, and robotics
  • Mathematics
  • Algebra, calculus, logic and algorithms, probability, statistics
  • Bayesian networking (including neural nets)
  • Cognitive science theory

We have considered these subjects only individually in the past; so there is sometimes not a clear route to a comprehensive or holistic understanding of AI. There are three top-tier online AI resources to learn from, including:

  • Udacity — is an online platform with unlimited learning opportunities.
  • MIT — continues to lead in the field of technology and development.
  • Google AI — is launching its college certification program for in-demand roles.
How Will the Fourth Industrial Revolution Impact the Future of Work — Change Recruitment Group

Roles on the periphery or edge of AI

If a role within AI does not appeal to you, then do not fear as there are possibilities for roles surrounding AI. One of which is related to business, and that is the role of an AI translator.

Automation AI Robots Jobs — Insights

What is an AI translator?

Nope, it’s not DeepL or a translation tool for languages! Let’s start with an understanding of the Analytics Translator.

An Analytics Translator translates information from data scientists and professionals to help management teams make strategic and operational decisions.

Mckinsey already offers comprehensive training information for the role of Analytics Translator.

An AI Translator, on the other hand, can take on the role of translating how AI can be used to further business strategy and implementation. This role can be the bridge between the technology team and the C-level management team.

Top 22 Best AI and Robotics Movies of All Time — New World AI

Sure, there is still the possibility for AI to go the apocalyptic in the future, but for now, the future is still within our hands.

The biggest learning from this 30-day journey is, we must be part of the conversation about AI, we must find our place within the journey, and help shape the Future of Work…or it will be shaped for us.

Perhaps the Future of Work is not an either/or solution, but rather a combination of Human and Digital workers.

For your company to get to the next level, at least in the next 20 years, someone has to connect the business to the AI — and that person could be you.

Don’t forget to give us your 👏 !

--

--

Exploring Innovation & AI | Striving to help others | Sharing my experience | Expanding my knowledge & skills