Will AI replace you at work?

Robot journalism

In May 2020 Microsoft decided to replace dozens of journalists who maintain the news homepages on Microsoft’s MSN website and its Edge browser with artificial intelligence software. In September 2020 The Guardian published an article entirely written by an AI. 

Is it already happening? The rise of robotic journalism is coming, as Ericsson predicts. Automated journalism in which news is generated by computer programs isn't a new phenomenon, but it seems to gain momentum. Intelligent software can boost productivity in newsrooms, creating short articles and reports but it necessary means replacing the journalists? 

Will robots take reporters' jobs?

On Will robots take my job? website, you can enter the job position in the browser and check what is the automation risk level in upcoming years in this occupation. The authors based their analysis among others on "The Future of Employment: How susceptible are jobs to computerisation" report and Bureau of Labor Statistics, focusing mostly on the US market, but we can also see how this might apply all over the world. 

For example, in the case of reporters and correspondents, there is very little chance (11%) of being replaced by robots/AI. However, the website poll suggests a higher chance of automation: a 33% chance of automation within the next 2 decades. Writers have even better perspectives, now is only a 4% risk and 22% chance of automation within the next 2 decades.

Which occupations may be replaced by artificial intelligence?

The 10 highest risk jobs

Due to tools such as digital writing assistants, it's highly likely that in the future robots will replace proofreaders in their jobs. But not only them. According to all jobs ranked by automation risk, there are occupations with the highest risk. The 10 highest risk jobs are:

1. Data Entry Keyers
2. Cargo and Freight Agents
3. Mathematical Technicians
4. Library Technicians
5. Insurance Underwriters
6. Watch Repairers
7. Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers
8. Telemarketers
9. Tax Preparers
10. Sewers, Hand

Why? Because based on the study these occupations have low projected growth by 2024 and a 99% of probability of automation.

The 10 top-paid safe jobs 

And on the opposite, the researchers created also the ranking of top-paid jobs with the lowest risk of being replacing by robots/AI and high projected growth by the upcoming 3 years.

1. Dentists (growth: 18%, risk: 0.44%)
2. Computer and Information Systems Managers (growth: 15%, risk: 3,5%)
3. Petroleum Engineers (growth: 10%, risk: 16%)
4. Marketing Managers (growth: 9%, risk: 0,4%)
5. Prosthodontists (growth: 18%, risk: 5,5%)
6. Podiatrists (growth: 14%, risk: 0,46%)
7. Physicists (growth: 8%, risk: 10%)
8. Computer and Information Research Scientists (growth: 11%, risk: 1,05%)
9. Human Resources Managers (growth: 9%, risk: 0,55%)
10. Optometrists (growth: 27%, risk: 14%)

Among the occupations with a low risk of automation are also: recreational therapists, first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers, or mental health and substance abuse social workers. Generally, all professions require skills such as problem-solving or working with other people.

It's a completely wrong question – says Stewart Rogers

Looking at the predictions above, the whole dynamic development of artificial intelligence and progressive automation, many people feel anxious about automation in the workplaces. Is there anything to be afraid of?

Will AI take my job – does this question even make sense? – we asked Stewart Rogers, a journalist, analyst, public speaker, author, startup founder, musician, and "digital nomad" in episode #10: "How AI can change the way we live, work, and love?" of Grow with Tech podcast.

The question doesn't make any sense and it's very much a generation question if I am really really honest. The older generation tends to be quite scared than the younger generation. When I do interviews, which I do occasionally with what I would call digital natives, people who grow up around technology to the point when they don't think about what technology is, it's like a fork or a knife or a cup to them. Having a screen in front of them is like picking up cutlery to eat with. (…) 

They think differently than the older generation rather: When is AI going to take my job? Because I want to go and  be creative, I want to go and have fun I want to go and sit on the beach on Bali I want to take  universal basic income and put that into doing creative projects and enjoying myself and traveling the world and getting experience and seeing people everywhere.

Steward Rogers wonders why no to think about this issue more positively and look at AI as a tool that will make our jobs more creative. 

Why are we scared of something taking our job? For me, it's completely the wrong question. The real question is when the new tool comes along. Where it's the big machines that kind of came along as part of the Industrial Revolution, or where is the thing that probably had more influence on the way that we lived and possibly anything since the invention of money or even possibly the language which is the smartphone.

What do we permanently and constantly go through the negative? Why don’t we think of these things as tools that would augment our jobs, make them more interesting? That might give us a better time at work. 

Think how else can you apply your skills 

And generally, it's not an unequivocal issue, which Stewart Rogers also highlights.

There is an issue. One issue. Yes, AI does take jobs for sure, but it also creates them, however it creates them for highly technically skilled people like data scientists. (…) That potentially then creates a wide gap between say manual workers and hi-tech workers. Because it's not easy for example for a refuse collector whose jobs will be replaced at some point with an automatic refuse collecter vehicle and robot and skill them up for the to be able to work with the tech industry.

However tech industry it's just a small tiny bubble that is thousand upon thousand upon thousand jobs  Andy many of them will not be replaced by AI for a very long time. 

As a journalist he thinks about this issue too, using his wide experience in different industries. 

Actually, I've seen how artificial intelligence writes really well, not in the terms of creative writing, yet. (...) A lot of sports reporting may be done by AI. Investigative journalism by AI? Eventually probably yes, but right it's not. So for people like me, I need to have a plan in the future, when AI will write all the articles, that's the reality.

How else I can transfer my skills to protect my future. It's something I've thinking about and making some changes recently. (...) We all have to think in those terms. If it seems that your job may be replaced by AI in near future, how you can replace your skills. And actually, that can be more interesting.

Crucial skills of workers of future

The fear is real – indicates Giselle Rampersad in her article published in "Journal o Business Research" (August 2020) observing the framework of this changing career landscape and important pedagogical tools in driving innovation. Industry 4.0 transformation needs to require human factors. 

Reaping the benefits of industry 4.0 is not just a technological challenge but also a human issue, requiring attention being placed on upskilling and also the human dimensions of major change.

Innovation will be needed to transition the workforce effectively. Work-integrated learning (WIL) will be the required learning approach. The workers of the future are expected to be creative and innovative. What capacities will be needed?

The study found that: critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and teamwork are crucial skills of the future and they will have significant impacts on innovation in the era of artificial intelligence.

In which industries can AI become a game-changer?

Can the use of AI actually change the direction of development and business models?  In what industries today, artificial intelligence can change our perception, creating opportunities that we only talked about until very recently hypothetically? These issues were the subject of the discussion panel at Infoshare 2019.

According to Zaynah Bhanji, developer and one of the panelists, AI will have a huge impact on education and agriculture. Artificial intelligence can replace teachers: teach lessons completely online, mark the test and answer the students' questions, bringing a whole new teaching experience. The faster impact on industries we can see in finance and law, where AI can make all the paperwork.

Olga Budziszewska from Accenture also mentioned the financial sector, healthcare, travel, and logistics, and HR, as industries in which AI is changing the most. She also marked that to become a game-changer in the whole industry companies need to change the business model, implementing the AI in it. 

The panelists indicated on dual use of AI, which can also change how the battlefield looks and increasing the threats like an increasing the amount of mass personalized cyber attacks. Artificial intelligence can replace the missing hands in work, make it more effective, but with the great power comes the great responsibility we have to use this tool wisely.

Solving global problems using artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence will create a significant impact by solving the world’s biggest problems including poverty, healthcare, climate change, and food security. During her speech at Infoshare 2019 Zaynah Bhanji, a 16-year-old machine learning, and virtual & augmented reality developer was talking about how AI can solve those core issues. 

Zaynah resembled her trip to India, mentioned the poor living conditions of people there, and she points a couple of solutions using AI, which can help to fight problems with food production, healthcare, and access to education. She mentioned the Microsoft created the app using AI dedicated to Indian farmers. The app monitors crops and sends farmers text messages when in the specific time the crops will yield. In 2018 they worked with 1000 farmers and the yield increased by 40%. 

Edu-tech platforms based on AI also can help to fight with lack of qualified teachers in schools. Zaynah mentioned also diagnosis apps and surgery robots that in the future can help with the lack of healthcare in places like India or Kenia.

Her inspiring speech was about solving crucial global problems. It show also how AI can replace humans in places where there is no qualified staff or help remotely to reach the people who need help.

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