Many jobs have already been rendered obsolete by the implementation of technology such as assembly-line and factory workers being replaced by automated machines. Even cashiers are starting to be merged out of shops where self-help counters replace them. Over the last couple of years and with the likes of Tesla & Uber using/bringing out cars which are self-parking/driving, the growth of technology has led to bus, truck, and taxi drivers becoming obsolete by self-driving vehicles.  Even our army is adopting automation into its ranks such as machines that take the position of a bomb squad. From drones to automated vacuum cleaners, it is very clear that the future is robotics.

However, some jobs are very unlikely to be taken over by technology or automated and these are jobs that have the ‘human element.’ What is meant by the human element, is empathy, human experience, emotions, and care. Artificial intelligence may have the ability to use data to learn and improve but will not be able to experience true human experience and emotion (Grothaus, 2018). Jobs that human emotion and care is necessary, are jobs such as therapists, social workers, teachers, and caretakers; “People visit therapists because there is a need for emotional support and guidance. This can only be provided through real human interaction–by someone who can empathize and understand, and who can offer advice based on shared experiences, rather than just data-driven logic.” (Pickersgill,2018)

Although some jobs cannot be replaced with artificial intelligence and automation, it is highly evident from the number of jobs that have already been replaced that the need for more efficiency has increased drastically over the last couple of years. The need for efficiency has increased due to higher profit margins demanded by large and small corporations. Less time is spent producing more amounts of a product equals a high percentage of profit. In addition to this, the need for higher quality demanded has also increased and with automation comes the decrease in human error. By making certain jobs obsolete, the human race will naturally push and encourage better education that will allow people to enter into innovation and creative workspaces instead of white and blue-collar labor (Vilbert,2019).

Rapid, full automation seems to be on its way and is something that we are not likely to slow down or stop. How will a future look with full automation? Well, it would have to be a world where we redefine some of society’s core values as a whole and we would have to rethink human labor. If we have full automation, those people whose aptitudes are not compatible with innovation or technology would not be able to find white and blue-collar jobs as they would have become obsolete. Society would have to start to look at introducing a guaranteed minimum income for the middle class  (Weber, 2018).

Schwab, K. (2020, February 4). Forget the Cybertruck: This is the most important Tesla product no one is talking about. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/90459676/this-tesla-product-will-be-more-even-important-than-the-cybertruck (Links to an external site.)

Weber, V., & Future Real Estate Institute. (n.d.). What impact will automation have on our future society? Here are four possible scenarios. Retrieved from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/02/what-impact-will-automation-have-on-society-four-scenarios/ (Links to an external site.)

Vilbert, J. (2019, September 10). Technology Creates More Jobs Than It Destroys: Jean Vilbert. Retrieved from https://fee.org/articles/technology-creates-more-jobs-than-it-destroys