Is AI and Automation Creating Jobs?

It is amazing to watch how fast the world is shifting from analog to digital data communication and storage. Digitalization has basically changed the quality and quantity of workforce required for production processes. Advancements in technologies like automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence will consequently drive huge skills and labour market transformations across the globe.

Automation is the technology for performing a process using various control systems for operating equipment with minimal or zero human intervention. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the creation of intelligent machines such as computer, computer-controlled robot, or software that thinks, works and reacts intelligently like humans!

 

So What’s the Difference?

Simply put, automation or automatic control is the making of hardware or software that follows pre-programmed rules to perform things automatically, while Artificial Intelligenceis the making of intelligent machines or software to simulate human behaviour and intelligence. Automatic control may or may not be based on AI.

Rapid Growth

It is outstanding to note that the advancements in automation and Artificial Intelligencehave not stopped with robots manufacturing the vehicles you drive or intelligent systems driving them for you.

AI has made its big-bang type entry almost across every domain such as decision-making, solving business challenges, computing, robotics, vehicles, and even cosmetics!

Let’s get to know some of the major trends and advancements, the good and the bad!

– Robotic workforce

– Voice-assistants

– Edge computing

– Capsule networks

– AI-based medical diagnostics

– Enterprise AI (Google’s Cloud AutoML and Amazon AI) 

– Use in wars (Cyberwars, yeah!)

– Cybersecurity, decentralization and democratization employing machine learning, an application of AI.

The upcoming possibilities of automation and Artificial Intelligence are innumerable. In fact, these technologies are growing rapidly and getting more versatile each day.

What is the Impact?

The latest market trends and advancements in automation and AI is bound to have a major impact on the future of the world. But the major concern that is now on the horizon is how your jobs will be impacted by this impact.

Job Opportunities for People with Tech Skills

Automation increases the value of jobs that need human intervention. Also, the tech industries using automation systems need people with tech skills to set up and operate the systems.

Based on the survey by CompTIA, a nonprofit IT trade association, the tech industry has employed about 6.7 million people in the US at present and is improving at a rate of 3 percent per year. Good news for tech people!

Will it Result in Unemployment?

Automation has helped many companies to increase their profits, lead to expanding offices and hiring more employees. AI will not result in mass unemployment but will force workers to learn new skills, according to The Economist.

So if you lack the required level of technical knowledge, you will be left behind in the job hunt race.

Even for jobs at a factory, you need to possess the basic level of computer skills. Professionals like lawyers and doctors are no exceptions and they should also upskill and learn to use cutting-edge tools to provide the best possible services in their sphere of work.

The same goes for current IT workers too. They must also refresh and learn additional skills to avoid the risk of getting replaced by Automation and Artificial Intelligence in the future.

How to Embrace the Change?

If you are a fresher or one in your mid-career who lacks to see the market opportunities, it is important to embrace this rapidly changing tech-driven world.

Getting the required level of technical knowledge, learning new skills and staying updated, on-the-job training and career education for the jobs of the future will help in ensuring that automation and AI helps and not affects your job prospects.

The good news is that automation and artificial intelligence will not lead to mass unemployment overnight. So go on, update yourself and embrace the change!