Help, robots will replace our jobs!
Technology is disruptive, but it is also creating demand for new kinds of skills in which humans need to be trained. By Bas de Vos
Don’t let the headline alarm you. But robots will definitely change how we work or, even better, how we work and learn.
I recently celebrated my 40th birthday, and I have noted that some definitions of the “ageing workforce” say it covers anyone aged 40 years or older. Living and working in the Netherlands, my expected retirement age is 71. That means I still need to work for another 31 years, which is almost double the amount of years that I’ve worked already.
What will another 30 years mean for me? More importantly, what will it mean for the countless people who have a job today that may no longer exist by the time they retire? Should they worry about being unemployed?
Rise of the robots: There’s a lot of talk about how automation supported by artificial intelligence will replace the human worker. And for the most part, that’s true. Many of the jobs that exist today will be replaced at some point.
If we look at a forklift driver in a warehouse, for example, warehouse robots are already doing the same work effectively in some businesses. In manufacturing, automated production lines and robots are commonplace. And as costs decrease and flexibility increases, it will quickly become the standard in many more industries.
But before we start predicting doomsday, there are some things to consider. AI and robotisation are the object of tremendous hype. Yes, there will be a huge impact, but it won’t be as fast and as deep as some people think.
The greying of the population is a fact, and the reality of the modern economy is that many people will still have to work — and for longer than before. With increasing productivity and wealth, it is hoped, we’ll be able to support more people with less than today.
As there probably won’t be a linear relation between the increasing average age and the retirement age, chances are high that we’ll still need to work longer than we do now.
The nature of innovation, proven by history, is such that when old jobs become obsolete, new jobs will be invented. Or, as Gartner is predicting: “Already in 2020, AI becomes a positive net job motivator, creating 2.3 million jobs while eliminating only 1.8 million.” These new jobs will be different, though, requiring different and often more qualified people.
Today there are more scientists alive than in the entire history of mankind. Technological evolution will not slow down, so the speed at which we transform our workforce will need to increase as well.
Already today many organisations report challenges in finding the right talent. Research by IFS has indicated that 34% of companies are unprepared to deal with the talent gap to truly embrace digital transformation.
So, instead of being afraid that there won’t be any work for us to do, let’s turn it around. The biggest issue isn’t that robots are taking our jobs, it’s that there aren’t enough skilled humans to do them.
The worker of the future: We can’t expect people to do the same work for their entire career anymore. At the same time, we can’t afford to lose them either. Most people will probably have to change jobs multiple times. We need to consider their needs, and instead of focusing only on the technology, we need to focus on how we can guide our workforce through many iterations of change.
There are two elements to any solution to this problem: people and technology.
People: If you consider that people need to do many different jobs, do we still need to give people specialised training at the beginning of their careers?
Why should we send people to school for four years for a job they might do for only 12 years? Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge advocate of good education. But, perhaps we should teach people how to learn instead of how to do a job. Give them basic skills that allow them to learn continuously throughout their career.
Yes, this is probably already the case in higher education, but what about the many blue-collar workers out there? Perhaps, instead of working five days a week, they could work four days and then train and learn for one day to stay up to date.
In any case, we need to make sure that people continue to be up to date on the technological developments that will only accelerate in the coming years.
Technology: Forget about looking at technology to replace humans, but focus on how it can augment humans. How can we apply technology to help workers close the gap in skills and knowledge required during their working careers?
Whether it is about using augmented reality for remote support or drones to increase worker safety, all of these technologies should also be seen in the context of how they can be used to augment our human skills and to increase productivity.
Bas de Vos is the director of IFS Labs, part of IFS, a global enterprise software developer.