Time for a career change?

For decades, robots have been utilised in several industries, including the automotive and manufacturing sectors, but now we’re walking into an era where robots are edging their way in to every nook and cranny – and I can’t help but wonder – are our jobs safe?

As the world progresses so does technology. I think back to being a teenager when having a phone was a luxury and the computer was locked in my parent’s room, only to be used for homework and the essentials, with the use of the dial up VERY slow internet. Fast forward 20 years and we have it all literally in the palm of our hands. Little mini-robots that we rely on oh-so scarily.

The surge in articles and TV coverage around Robots taking over human jobs or interactions hasn’t passed me. Whether it’s a touch screen kiosk in your local fast-food chain or a 3D receptionist in a hotel lobby – where human faces once existed, robots now reside. The University of Oxford Department of Engineering, estimated that 47 per cent of current jobs are at risk of falling victim to automation in the next 20yrs. By 2018, the report says, almost one-third of robotic deployments will be smarter, more efficient robots capable of collaborating with other robots and working safely alongside humans. Scary stuff for us mere mortals and it may not stop in the work place! Launched in 2014 by a French robotics company Pepper, the first ‘companion robots’ went on sale in the UK. They are designed to be a ‘companion robots’ and specialise in perceiving emotions. Loneliness of course is a key issue, especially as people get older and more isolated but are robots the answer? Pepper tech is used throughout mobile phone stores in Japan to welcome customers and in their robot café’s (Robotachino anyone?). It’s amazing how advanced technology has become. Sure, it’s impressive, but one thought does spring to mind are we just going to lose that human touch?

I loved a recent feature in Stylist magazine’s 400th issue. They arranged for a team of robots to ‘take over’ their creative team, from Art Directors, to writers to news editors and challenged them to do a better job. The outcome was reassuring – creatively, the robots couldn’t compete. Though it was interesting to read that we are very much heading towards an age where this will be possible. So, they’re advancing in tech, developing new skills at a faster rate than humans ever could and we’ve even seen them being granted citizenship. Sophia is the first ever Al to be given citizenship in Saudi Arabia, and while it’s great to hear she’s flying the flag for women’s rights in the middle east (albeit, just repeating some text that a human programmer has input in it), but you can’t help but wonder, is the next step granting artificially intelligent robots rights too?

It’s a lot to digest, and that facts and figures can be a little alarming, but I hold out hope that in the industries that thrive on human touch and creativity will never be replaced by robots, and perhaps in my career lifespan, I don’t need to think about decamping to a desert island and fighting for survival, but perhaps, for the next generation, they need to think about not only what they want to be ‘when they grow up’, but what careers are robot-proof!