The term “A.I” seems to be on the tip of everyone’s tongue lately. And the Guardian’s Robert Booth recently wrote, “Robots could take 4m UK private sector jobs within 10 years” and shared some insight in the publication about the job market in the very near future.
The Guardian’s article was based on a survey conducted by the Royal Society of Arts, which tells us that new and advanced robotic technology could become a threat to real occupational roles over the next decade.
So are our jobs really under threat? And will humans eventually be replaced by robots in the workplace?
Automation & Bots at Work
Some of the latest audits completed by research and insights leader, PWC, also suggests that almost a third of jobs in Britain will be at risk with the developments of Artificial Intelligence and job automation. This infographic created by RS Online predicts that more than half the jobs within some sectors could be taken over by bots by the year 2030.
There are multiple industries and sectors at risk, including Manufacturing, Construction, Food & Hospitality, Financial & Insurance, plus Property & Real Estate. Meaning that everyone from admin assistants to bus or taxi drivers could be out of work.
Automation is something that is happening across every industry, and can save businesses both time and money. Bots in manufacturing, production, or within any kind of day to day operations are cost-effective replacements for human workers. Requiring minimal training, no sick leave and with a higher quota of job accuracy.
The data from this infographic below suggests that up to 10 million human roles in the UK could be completely replaced by A.I within the next 15 years.
Image source: RS Online.
With robots and drones already being utilised in a number of industries already, and the reality of robotic workers becoming more widespread as technology moves forward, experts are looking at this issue closely in order to see how it will impact society.
On the flipside, it is said that “a third of employees see artificial intelligence as a job creator” based on CCS Insight’s most recent employee enterprise survey. So the shift in A.I in the industry could be beneficial if governed in the right way.
A.I and the Creation of Jobs
According to a survey by CCS Insight, one in three employees feel that Artificial Intelligence will boost the number of jobs available. With millennials gaining the highest number of work opportunities from the introduction of new technology.
The survey includes data from over 650 professionals across five regions and tells us that A.I will be hugely disruptive to many market sectors. But the data also reveals that there will both job loss and job creation to come.
Nick McQuire from CCS Insight said: “Employees are drowning in a sea of data and digital technology.” So the shift from manual to automation is inevitable and will only be embraced by companies who want to develop and grow in the future. He also added: “Rather than destroying jobs, AI is seen as a tool that could help us work smarter and better in the future.”
So which jobs are at risk? Whilst the spin on jobs and A.I are positive for some employees and employers who believe that there will be new / more roles available in the future, it’s wise to note that not all professions will have the same opportunities post robotics.
Many websites now offer statistical data to help workers work out the percentage possibility of their job being taken over by robots. Sites such as WillRobotsTakeMyJob.com return a % result based on any job title.
