On this episode of The Tech Ranch, “Guru of Geek” Marlo Anderson and “Tech Geezer” Jim Walsh discuss how technology is adapting to the current job market. Whether you work in a fast food environment or in an office setting, it’s no surprise that technology plays a huge role in our daily work environment. Listen in as Marlo and Jim address whether humans will be worked out of a job as automation becomes more available to employers and learn if your job is on the chopping block.
FUTURE JOB SHOCK
Losing a job is a part of every day life. Millions of people across the country lose jobs each year. Whether you are a highly-skilled individual with a specific skill set or an employee working a minimum wage job, no one is safe from the possibility of losing their job. In the next decade, many jobs will be lost and employees will be replaced with artificial intelligence (AI). Every job ranging from janitorial and construction to legal and accounting services providing seis income tax relief will no longer need a human body to complete daily tasks. Robots will become the new employee disrupting our concept of what it means to be employed. Below is a look at some of the most prevalent job losses in the future.
Insurance Underwriters/Claims Representatives
According to an article posted by The Guardian, Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance, Japan, recently replaced 30 medical insurance claims representatives with an AI system that was based on IBM’s Watson Explore program. According to company representatives, the software can analyze information at a quicker speed than human employees can. The software reduces man-power hours significantly. The move to AI is more cost-effective than employing humans.
Construction Workers
Automation will threaten manual labored jobs significantly in the future. Crane operators and bulldozer drivers can expect to see their positions filled by AI-controlled machines in the next decade. The autonomous vehicle concept is going to be applied to construction equipment. According to MIT Technology Review, robotic bricklaying machines will also be introduced and replacing employees. The good news is humans will still be needed to complete smaller tasks. Opportunities will also be available for employees to expand their knowledge and education to reflect operating the AI equipment.
Manufacturing Workers
BBC.com reported in May 2016 that Foxconn, the manufacturer of the iPhone and Xbox, recently replaced 60,000 workers with robots. This comes as no surprise as studies have shown that more and more companies are eliminating the human workforce with robots. Companies are looking at ways to be more efficient and cost-effective and are learning robots are less of a liability than humans.
Now What?
The job market will need to change in order to meet the demands of technological changes in the workforce. Journalism, accountants,