The world of work is shifting.
We are on the rise of a new megatrend on the job market. The digital age disrupts the demand and changes the nature of labor and knowledge. New ways of working, new skills, and new goals for workers arise. Self-fulfillment and entrepreneurship are on the rise.
Technology is emerging as an essential factor for the workforce of the future. Rapid automation, robots, and IoT are reshaping the work environment. For example, it is expected that the number of connected devices will reach 200 billion by 2030, or by 2022 four million industrial robots will likely be installed around the world, more than double the number in 2017. AI will enter the industry and will displace millions of jobs. But all this doesn't mean that there won't be enough jobs for us. They will shift, and we will need to upskill and reskill the future workforce. A new industrial revolution is in place, demanding new workers' skills. The schooling system must change because we no longer need education designed for the previous 100 years. Our children will have to learn to adapt. We will have to as well. On the other hand, with the rise of medical care quality and the trend for prolongation of life, humans will abandon the idea of a single career for life.
It is safe to say that these new technologies will also create new opportunities. Advanced tech will create new jobs, which will require a new set of skills, some that we don't know or even can't imagine yet. Jobs that will require developing, maintaining, and upgrading future technologies will emerge. Jobs like "AI trainer," "AI explainer" (a person that interpreters AI-generated output), or "AI sustainer" (someone who monitors the work of AI systems).
Automation will be a significant factor influencing the world of work, but it won't replace all human workforce. It will alter it, make it more productive and give it more opportunities. Productivity will grow exponentially with the augmentation of workers, and robots will do repetitive, boring, and dangerous work. Instead of cutting jobs and making workers redundant, the future is to equip them with new technological capabilities to create new user experiences, new services, etc. The replaced jobs will be manual, low-skilled jobs and middle-income positions like accountants, lawyers, and insurance clerks.
Full automation is not possible due to the simple reason that there will always be a need for a "human touch." Some areas require real people, like health care, well-being, software engineering, innovation, human-machine interaction facilitator, etc. Also, machines themselves need people for their development and maintenance. These are all professional fields that require a personal touch and probably will always do so. And since AI and automation won't replace all human labor, interaction, and wisdom, it is expected that the service and knowledge sector will grow by 50-60% by 2030.
Here are some of the jobs that will probably emerge very soon:
Work from Home Facilitator - the pandemic has already changed how we work. While remote work remains the norm, we will need professionals to optimize this experience for both workers and employers.
Fitness Commitment Counselor - this professional will provide one-on-one daily, weekly, and biweekly remote coaching and counseling sessions that help improve wellness and help navigate the obesity epidemic.
Smart Home Design Manager - the rise of the smart home will naturally lead to the emergence of design managers that will ensure they are safe, with routers in the right place, and even soundproof.
Data Detective - these will be the experts that will bridge the gap in data knowledge and investigate the mysteries in big data.
Algorithm Bias Auditor - verification of the way algorithms are built will help ensure that the future of the workforce and business will be fair.
Human-machine Teaming Manager - the essential task for this role will be developing an interaction system through which humans and machines mutually communicate their capabilities, goals, and intentions and foster collaboration.
IT Facilitator - a professional that leads the creation of a work environment that exploits digital trends and encourages shadow-IT innovation.