The Future of Our Work

We are entering a new time period. Many of us have lived through the Information Age, we are now entering the Automation Age. The combination of Artificial Intelligence with Robotics is changing our world.

This did not start recently. Been working with robots since graduating college in 1978. Computers since 1970 (more or less). Artificial intelligence goes back to mythology, and really started with Dartmouth College in the Summer of 1956 (My birth year). Autopilots were invented and demonstrated in 1914 by Lawrence Sperry. This saved wear and tear on pilots enabling longer flights. Also freed up pilots for more important tasks like navigation or bombing. Modern autopilots handle all phases of flight including taxi, takeoff, climb, cruise, descent, approach, and landing. Next step will be cargo planes without human intervention.

What is happening now is different technologies are reaching a level of maturity that will change the world. Software programing has better analyzing and self learning. Sensors are more effective, have more range and cost less. Battery life improved as weight went down. Our cell phones are mini computers. The future will be mobile.

Automation with artificial intelligence will replace most repetitive, difficult or dangerous work. Ships will not need pilots or crews for weeks on the oceans. Deliveries will not need truck drivers. Taxis, Uber & Lyft will not need drivers. Electric vehicles do not need all the maintenance of gas & diesel motors. Mechanics, Miners and Farmers will not be put at risk of injury or death to work.

But this will go further. Bookkeepers will not be needed to support accountants with artificial intelligence. Taxes will be calculated automatically. Pharmacist technicians will not count pills or type labels. Like the secretaries of old, these positions will fade away. Estimates are 20% to 40% of current blue & white collar jobs will go away.

Like the last new ages brought challenges. Moving to cities was uncomfortable for many from family farms. New skills had to be learned. Familiar places were missed. We adjusted to change. When computers came into the office, more skills were learned as responsibilities changed.

 What will be different this time is the speed of the change is faster. Technologies are accelerating and new skills are replacing old ones.

How to have job security? Keep learning and being productive. Take more responsibility. Automation and computers are not as good as with people skills. They can better maintain an algorithm for repetition. Creativity, sales and innovation are not strengths of Artificial Intelligence. Those require people. No reason it can’t be you.