Dancing Partners who Step on Toes – Resolutely!
AI geared robotics are fueling the charge in the dance between humans and robots on the job market. By 2025 machines will do more work than humans according to the World Economic Forum‘s latest AI job forecast. In mid-2018 machines contributed to roughly 30% of total hours worked in major industries. However, the gradual change in projections has the ratio at 42% robotic in 2022, with the forecast of 75 million jobs eliminated by robots in 2025.
But not to worry. There will be 133 million new roles for the humans by that time, a bounty of never-before-heard-of professions predicted. The math gets a bit tricky here. If we assume the 2025 prediction of “machines will do more work than humans” to hover at 51% to 49%, then we must ask how many total jobs are carved up by those percentages? 51% of what is 75 million? I came up with 147,058,824. just short of 150 million. OK. But what about the 133 million new roles? Evidently, when the robots cross the line to step on our human toes as to the job market, none of the amazing never-before-heard-of professions have been entered into. Else, the dance would continue with the robots fading as the new professions become heard of.
To be sure, it is a strange dance. Maybe it is a polite gavotte, so as not to offend the humans. Or at least inoffensive to we older dancers. While it’s nice to know that “there’s a job for you, even if the robots take your current spot,” it is still disrupting to realize that in 4-7 years you might be required to go back to school to learn something new. Old dogs and new tricks is the tune we dance to, evidently! If you’re 40 or younger, you are not concerned about learning the steps. If you’re 40 and older, it might mean more crushed toes.
There is a hedge against the projected robotic takeover. You can always gravitate to those jobs that are safe from the incursion of robots. You are asking, “What are those, pray tell?” Gladly!
AI can’t yet conceptualize or plan; is unable to do work that requires hand-eye coordination; can’t deal with unstructured spaces; and lacks any sense of caring or empathy. The safe career bet for the future? Become a therapist, or a researcher of artificial intelligence — or even a fiction writer.
LinkedIN article, Jobs that are safe from automation.
Oh well! I write fiction and by means of that am quite the therapist, bringing a measure of peace and joy to all my readers. I must add that all my research is quite artificial. Or perhaps I mean superficial. The Technology Dance was especially rewarding. So I politely bow and say, “Let’s do this again soon!”
