It’s no secret that A.I. is about to make drastic disruptions throughout the job market. A.I. advancement is occurring rapidly, and many are left wondering how this will impact their future career security. This article will analyze the current A.I trends market research surrounding its impact on the current job economy, as well as provide some tips on how workers from any industry can prepare for and adjust to these changes.
A.I Trends and Research
According to a recent report by McKinsey, about 45% of the actions performed by employees today can already be automated using existing technologies. This number will continue to rise even higher as A.I. technologies continue to evolve.
Furthermore, experts are suggesting that the automation transformation needs to be well planned and executed in order to avoid disaster, as A.l. is poised to disrupt 60-70% of today’s jobs, eliminating many of them entirely. According to insights from World Bank, these numbers are especially high in developing countries such as India and China.
However, many industry insiders see potential and opportunities developing amidst these changes. As the saying goes, when one door closes another one opens. Developments in A.I. will actually help to create jobs. Many see potential in areas such as cyber security, cloud technology, big data, machine learning and A.I. sectors, and overall rising opportunities and job creation in the IT sector as a result of A.I.
Staying Relevant on the Job Market with the Rise of A.I.
A.I.’s impact on the job market means that human emotional intelligence skills are becoming ever more valuable among human workers. A.I. developments mean that jobs which were once thought to be entirely secure (e.g. teachers, doctors, advisors, marketers, consultants) are at risk, as these technologies will soon surpass human abilities even when it comes to complex processes such as determining and implementing the best course of action.
The trick to staying relevant as this shift in the job market continues is to focus on developing emotional intelligence abilities, which A.I. cannot easily replicate. These include skills include the following:
- Understanding
- Motivating
- Interacting with humans
- Relating to human emotions
- Persuasion
- Social understanding
- Empathy
Ironically, these are the skills for which most workforces struggle with, since most of today’s training centers around task-oriented activities. But these skills will be the key for those who aim to stay relevant in their current field as A.I. penetration in the workplace continues.
Future Proofing Yourself
Luckily, there are things workers can start doing today to help prepare their career for these upcoming transitions. The primary key will be to invest in the development of emotional intelligence skills. This process will involve a reevaluation of one’s role and working to develop better managerial and influential skill sets. No matter how far technology advances for the foreseeable future, it cannot entirely replace a human touch.
Barry Libert and Megan Beck, founder/CEO and CPO of machine learning company, OpenMatters explained that some types of jobs will have staying power, even as technology advances over the coming decades:
- Creative Jobs: Creative processes and the concepts of creating something new (including new ideas) are unique to human abilities and are likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. Creative inspiration is not something that A.I. can replicate quite yet.
- Motivational Roles: Human motivations are quite complex and this type of human experience is difficult for a computer to understand, therefore Liber and Beck things this job function will continue to require humans.
- Management Jobs: Due to the nuanced and complex nature of managerial roles, and the level of emotional intelligence required to keep the work flowing smoothly, managerial jobs will be safe for near future.
But what to do if you work outside these types of roles? There are still ways that you can future-proof yourself no matter what your current role is, according to Joy Parekh, the head of online operations at Imarticus Learning (a leading analytics training institute in India). Parekh says the first thing to do is upskill yourself using training tools and programs based around competencies. The second thing to do is develop your cognitive and perceptive skill sets, which include the following:
- Logical reasoning
- Adaptability
- Creativity
- Common sense
Focusing on these skill sets is essential because these are the most difficult skills for A.I. to adopt. Because they are typically outside the purview of typical algorithms, it leaves a gap where humans will always be needed. It goes without saying, that A.I. will not take over all of the jobs in the coming years. Nonetheless, it is essential to stay scarce in a world that it constantly changing.
