How to Future-Proof Your Career
Ever since the industrial revolution, machines have been taking people's jobs. Until recently, automation has been largely restricted to manufacturing, with better machines requiring less employees to run them. However, with rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, a number of modern day industries face a new wave of automation.
With that in mind, economists are asking which careers are likely to disappear, and which are safe?
In the short term, those industries most likely to be threatened by AI are fast-food, transport, telesales, and education assistance. Fast food chains are already automating their services. Self-driving cars are likely to take over the trucking, bus and taxi industries, making millions of drivers redundant. What's more, improved AI software could gradually replace paralegals, assistants, accountants, and salespeople.
In the long term, any career which is predictable and repetitive is likely to be impacted as AI improves. Creative careers, such as being a musician, artist, or writer will likely be safe for the next few decades. But in 20 to 30 years artists, and musicians especially, will find themselves threatened by AI, although they will likely not be completely replaced by it.
So what jobs are safe?
Careers which include building and maintaining complex relationships with people, or deal with unpredictable problems are less likely to be impacted by AI. Economists have suggested that working as a scientist, teacher, business executive, or in a trade which often involves urgent or unpredictable work, such as a plumber, are likely to be safe from automation for now.
Computer science is also an obvious career path. Someone needs to write and maintain all those job-ending AI programs after all.
Beyond avoiding the careers which are most at risk, remember that in the future your biggest asset as an employee may be your adaptability. Careers are expected to involve about eight different jobs over a lifetime in the future, so always look for opportunities to develop new skills and diversify your work experience.
