It’s true . . . in the next few decades you may well be unemployed. Yes, you. It is not because the economy will have crashed, or there are no more job opportunities, you will be unemployed because robots are taking our jobs. But what jobs will robots take over in the future?
In this post, we will see how robots are replacing humans in the workplace, which jobs are at risk and which are not. We will also discuss the impact of this transition on the society at whole.
When we talk about Robots taking future jobs, we feel terrified. Many of you might have thought, “Will robots take my job?” “What will I do if my company replaced me with a robot?” “How will this change impact my life?”. These are common questions that arise in mind when we talk about robots and their future roles in society.
Jobs already replaced by robots
Robots are taking over, they will control the world and enslave the human race. Well, this is probably what you have seen in movies and read in books over the last couple of decades. But you know this is not true, robots are our friends, and they help us in our work.
According to research at McKinsey, 45% of current jobs can be automated as robots can perform them.
We have seen robots replacing humans in the workplace for a long time now with technology replacing human jobs robots a common sight on production lines. There is no doubt robots are more efficient, cost-effective, and above all, they increase productivity. They can work 24/7 and never get tired and bored, that means they are more qualified for some jobs.
However, humans have always been needed to operate and program and analyze the performance of the robots. But as AI is quickly evolving, even these jobs could be under threat.
Some other jobs that have seen people being replaced include waiting staff and chefs in restaurants and cafés, security patrols, and they are even assisting surgeons in hospitals, soon maybe undertaking operations on their own.
Robots taking over jobs pros and cons
This is a very debatable topic; there are two opinions. Some say introducing robots is a good thing, and some say it’s not. Yeah of course if the robot is going to take your job, why would you support it. But we can say there are always two sides of the picture, if something is bringing good there will always be a catch.
Pros
- Decreased overheads
- Increased productivity
- The ability to work 24/7
- Results in better value product for the consumer
It’s been proved that robots work. You know robots are not new; robots replacing humans in the manufacturing industry has become commonplace in the past two decades. This is a similar case with the agriculture industry, technology replacing human jobs has proved a success story there too.
The automation and robots have performed exceptionally well in many sectors, and the rate of productivity is much higher than human workers.
Robots can work 24/7 without any food breaks, sleep, and rest. And they never get bored and need a break to regain their energy, hence a win-win situation for the industry.
Also, the incorporation of robots helps the business save money, there is no more labor cost on the company, and now they can sell the products at better prices. This means companies grow, and they can hire more human employees for different jobs. So we can say it seems that robots are replacing jobs, but in reality, they are creating them.
Cons
- Less unskilled labor available
- Jobs lost among the poorest
But there is another side of the story, the technology replacing human jobs or the robot revolution will not bring a happy ending for everyone.
Robots are mostly taking manufacturing jobs or jobs that will not include critical thinking, innovation, or degrees. It means one who is not lucky enough to have a college degree will likely find it harder to get a job and remain unemployed.
So what jobs will robots take over in the future; top five jobs at risk
If we talk about jobs that are at risk of replacing by the robots in the next ten years, we can see a lot of them. But here we will see the top 5 jobs that are on the risk of being replaced.
Transportation
Around the world, the automotive industry is testing self-driving cars. There is a high chance that very soon you will be using automated transportation, whether taxis, buses, or possibly even drones.
Home Services
More and more people are investing in home robotics. From vacuums to robotic window cleaners, the domestic robot industry is booming and continually coming up with new ideas. With the introduction of cloud-based technologies, machine learning algorithms have become more advanced. Robots can understand speech, and there are many devices you can find in your home are smart devices. You can control the vacuum with one instruction, control the locks of the main door and temperature of your home.
Health care
Another industry we can see robots in health care, and many benefits robots are providing in the health care area. The robots are used in personal monitoring, monitoring devices, and in some cases during major surgeries. The application based on Artificial Intelligence is making the life of a doctor easier than ever.
Education
AI will be your new tutor in the next ten years, though it is also available in some parts now. You can find much software that helps in interactive learning and improve their skills. There is a big chance of improvement in the education sector once the AI and robots are incorporated, especially in interactive learning.
Public safety
It is indeed one of the significant areas where robots and AI can be beneficial and replace human workers. The body cameras, financial fraud algorithms, and surveillance cameras on streets and outside home are the initial steps.
Are you worried about your job? Check out the Will a robot take my job risk calculator.
But robots also create; jobs created by robots
As I briefly mentioned a moment ago, I think it is essential to say a little bit more about the jobs created by robots.
While it’s easy to imagine any of the jobs above becoming redundant, there will still be people needed to monitor the success and performance of the robots. So opportunities for data analysts and optimization specialists will be increased.
It is also pretty evident that the IT and programming sector will see a massive increase in demand. If you have kids in school, making sure they learn basic programming or coding skills will be an enormous benefit for the future. It could be argued that coding is quickly becoming the most essential language in the world.
Something else I also like to think about is that many jobs kids will be doing in the future haven’t even been invented yet
In this new world, data is everything, and there will be hundreds, if not thousands of companies scrambling to find out everything they can about you. As a result, I could see personal data becoming a work opportunity. In the same way you entrust your money to banks, you could get personal data assistants that will ensure your information is safe at all times and give advice on how you can invest your data for financial security.
Final thoughts on what jobs will robots take over in the future
With robots are taking over in many sectors, it is predicted that robots will take over 200 million jobs in the next 50 years. However, we will always need a human who can invent and design them, control them, and feed them (not food but electricity).
It’s vital to remember robots are not our enemy, and they are our friends. AI and robots are starting to make a significant impact on our lives, but we need to accept the change and find new opportunities.
So what do you think? What jobs will robots take over in the future? And do you think robots replacing humans in the workplace is something to be feared or embraced? I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments.
Matt is the founder of the Little Robot Shop, who has spent much of the last decade hacking home cleaning with various robots and devices to make keeping his home clean as easy as possible. Not an easy task with two young children.
When not working on the Little Robot Shop website or YouTube channel, he works as technical support and product specialist for a fast-growing digital company. He does his best to get his younglings to code, which will be an essential skill in the future.
