Is Technology a Threat to the Job Market?

Many young people all over the globe are seriously concerned about technology eventually replacing their dream jobs. Others have chosen to look at the bright side. They have been arguing that technology taking over the current jobs is just a huge opportunity that may potentially open doors for a plethora of new career prospects. Hence, they have been suggesting that it would be wise to be able to learn how to keep up with the rapid pace of technology.

Evolution of the Job Market

• Before the industrial revolution: people were simply concerned about surviving. They used to be occupied by activities to just keep surviving.
• During the industrial revolution: people were given the opportunity to shift their expectations about themselves. They were the most valuable asset in the workplace. Humans’ role in productivity and development was unquestionable. People used to be confident, with a determination and a strong desire to get a job, a certain company would definitely hire them.
• During the technology revolution: profound technological improvements led to an increased volume of productions resulting in the hiring of more and more skilled employees. People used to feel absolutely certain that, with a college degree they could secure a well-paying job. They even used to feel assured to peruse with their career and life goals.
• After the emergence of the Internet: several businesses have integrated the internet as part of their operational tool for advertising their businesses, networking with their clients, and enhancing their communication. Creative-minded people welcomed the internet with open arms. It has helped them to have alternative dimensions of generating income. However, some don’t seem to make peace with it. They despise it as ‘the villain’ that is responsible for the ‘failure of this generation’. Still, others complain that they don’t feel safe with the internet involved in many areas of their life activities.
• After the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI): since its inception, AI has been used in a wide range of applications in several industries. These days, AI with an automated built-in program is replacing routine jobs. Many reports have revealed that AI can execute routine procedures with the utmost productivity and efficiency. This core quality made AI an ideal choice for routine procedures in most industries.
• During COVID-19 lockdowns: companies were looking for new strategies to keep their businesses going. Working from home has proven to be a feasible alternative. And several companies have reported this way of running their businesses saved them fortunes by cutting overhead costs of workplaces.

A Glimpse of the Future Workplace

Technology has long been conceived as humans’ closest friends. It’s impossible to ignore its role in advancing every aspect of humans’ lives. People have been grateful for so long until their jobs became potentially at stake. The majority of young people feel they are being left out from being the most important element of the workforce. Technology, they believe, has stabbed them in the back.

With the fast rate of AI joining the workforce, the future workplaces are not going to be the same. Most of the repetitive jobs will be totally replaced with an algorithm that has all the instructions of the job operations. Some of the job places will have AI co-workers assisting humans that will be able to remain in the job market.

According to the World Economic Forum reports in 2020, due to the trend established during the COVID-19 lockdown, corporate enterprises highly prioritize the adoption of cloud computing, big data, and e-commerce. The report stated that considerable transformations of jobs and skills will take place by 2025 and 43% of businesses will downsize their workforce as a result of technological integration. This means by 2025, humans and machines will spend almost the same amount of time at workplaces. The report also suggested that the future of work has already arrived for the vast majority of the online white-collar workers and hence, reskilling is essential to be able to have an opportunity in the future job market.

Master Key to Embracing the Future

In the good old days, the only competition in the workplace was someone with a decorated resume, someone with a recommendation from a prestigious company, or someone who can outdo the rest of their peers. These days, however, young people are supposed to be able to outsmart an automated superintelligent machine. The thought of this kind of future by itself can be quite baffling.

Right in front of our eyes, we are witnessing AI getting increasingly more intelligent. The situation is unfolding faster than ever. However, it should not be taken as a threat to humanity. We should rather embrace it as a window of opportunity to go above and beyond our regular capabilities. It should be taken as a driving factor to evolve to a better version of humans.

The good news is that creativity is something irreplaceable. At the very least, not anytime soon. For the time being, creativity remains a human specialty. If backed with powerful imaginations, creativity is a master key to securing a job in the future. It’s essential to pushing ourselves to tap into infinite possibilities of creativity and innovation. Our aspirations should involve non-routine jobs that won’t be able to be integrated into an AI system.

I seriously doubt that AI has already figured out how to creatively think. Despite the fact that we can’t be certain what the future holds, creativity is our master key to having an opportunity for a job in the coming times. There is still a possibility for humans to evolve at a pace as faster than technological updates.

Photo: metamorworks/shutterstock

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