Artificial Intelligence, automation and the future of work
You would be hard pressed not to have read an article or heard something about the rise of artificial intelligence and how we mere humans may render ourselves unemployable in the not so distant future. I am not so pessimistic. Having recently read Rutger Breman’s “Utopia for Realists”, I am persuaded by his argument that we lack the imagination at this stage as to the type of jobs people will be undertaking in the future. Anecdotally, I do not recall ever hearing anyone at school talk about wanting to be a mobile app designer or Facebook advertising specialist (the defence rests). However, I acknowledge that with the growing use of artificial intelligence and automation the types of work we are currently performing will soon need to change.
The International Bar Association has prepared a detailed report entitled, “Artificial Intelligence and Robotics and their Impact on the Workplace.” At a whopping 120 pages this report is certainly not a light read but it does provide some thought-provoking insights.
Reports are suggesting that AI has a 50% chance of outperforming human performance in all jobs by 2045. Further, in the 2013 paper entitled: “The Future of Employment: How susceptible are jobs to computerisation?”, the authors contend that it is not only routine cognitive tasks that are at risk (e.g. telemarketers, secretaries and switchboard operators) but also roles which require “subtle judgement”.
So how can we “AI” proof our careers? My view is that nowis the time that we give both emotional intelligence (EQ) and social intelligence their due reverence. Given that at some point it is expected that AI will be able to outperform any human’s analytical skills (IQ), this is not the case when it comes to interpersonal skills such as empathising, social understanding and persuasion (well at least not yet). So while I am seeking to learn how to code (if you can’t beat the machines and all that) I will also be working on my leadership and other social skills in order to remain competitive in this ever-changing job market.