We have seen how the digital world is able to come into play overnight and change how we work and get things done. Long before the pandemic, the fear of robots taking our jobs was at an all-time high as the world anticipated the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Recently, the World Economic Forum predicted that by 2025, robots would make 85 million jobs redundant, but in the same breath, would also create 97 million new job opportunities. The focus has always been on how robots and technology will negatively impact our lives, however, what we’ve overlooked is the way in which they’ll also improve our lives.
Robots Are Already Intertwined In Our Lives
Whether you’re aware of it or not, robots, technology, and the artificial intelligence that we are so terrified of have already crawled its way into our lives. We’ve been outsourcing our brunt work to machines for years without fearing the consequences thereof. Something as simple as a vacuum cleaner is indicative of this. Sweeping the house became a laboursome chore, and so the vacuum cleaner was invented. Not too long after that, we got tired of dragging vacuum cleaners around and invented the robot vacuum cleaner to manage this task without having to lift a finger.
The GPS you use to get around is also an example of this – and even your phone. Everything has evolved to simplify life, but have you ever considered the forces behind it all?
Looking At The Future Of Work
Although jobs will be lost, it’s predicted that even more will be made available. Let’s take a look at business security. Back in the day, we used to have guards manually manage the ins and outs of offices and other secure spaces. We have no moved forward to a space where biometrics and access tags do this job for us. This means that security guards may have lost their jobs, but it also, means that jobs were created for people to create and program these new systems.
The future of work means that robots and humans will work together to get things done. Robots are driven by processes and efficiency, while people create the systems needed to do so it’s also important to note that as emotional beings, people crave human interaction which is something that robots will not be able to achieve. With robots, we can automate systems and have more time left for things we want to do, whether business-related or fun like betting on NZ pokies!
Education Is Key To Success
With the world changing at a rapid pace, we need to consider the updated needs of the workforce. We need to ensure that education and skills development becomes a priority to ensure that no one gets left behind.
As new job opportunities become available, we need to ensure that the workforce can complete these tasks. An inequality gap may become arise if skills development is not properly addressed, especially in developing countries.
Look At The Bigger Picture
We’ve become so consumed by the perception that robots will take over that we’ve missed the fact that we’re already living in a world where robots form a part of our lives.