The robots are not coming. They’re here. To stay. And they’re better at our jobs than we are. You’ve seen it happening for decades at automobile manufacturing plants. You’re seeing it today with Amazon. And each time you see this, you’re likely asking yourself, “Is my job, or my business, safe from being replaced by robots?” The answer is like a big, “No, it isn’t.” However, that doesn’t mean all you can do is wait for the robot apocalypse. You have other options. So let’s explore this a little further.
Jobs That Will Survive the Robot Takeover
We hesitate to say any job is safe, given the meteoric rise of robot skills and intelligence. Plus, when you see robots or AI being creative or even self-aware, it makes you wonder if there’s any limit to these things. That said, here are a few jobs and freelance skills that might survive, or at least remain competitive with robots. These are jobs that require more than completing repetitive tasks; they tend to require thought, analysis, and human interaction.
- Personal services, like psychiatry and psychology, doctors, dentists, nurses, etc.
- Teachers, trainers and coaches
- Food and nutrition experts
- Engineers of all varieties
- Creatives in art, music, writing, etc.
The key to surviving won’t be to pick one of those and work on it. The best strategy will be to diversify, to have three, four, or seven jobs! Futurist Faith Popcorn says that you’ll need to “have many forms of talent and work that you can provide the economy.”
Amazing Things AI and Robots are Already Doing
We hinted at the fact that robots and AIs are already doing amazing things. The list below might surprise you, or even scare you a bit. But these machines are already doing some pretty impressive things:
- Write a symphony: https://futurism.com/a-new-ai-can-write-music-as-well-as-a-human-composer
- Self recognition: Watch this robot become self-aware: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx6kg0ZfhAI
- A robot that always wins rock-paper-scissors: https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/rock-scissors-paper-robot/
- An AI so good at writing, it’s creators are worried to release it: https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/18/tech/dangerous-ai-text-generator/index.html
If robots can do these things, how safe can any of us really feel in our jobs?
How to Prepare for the Robots
Probably the biggest risk is refusing to adapt and holding onto a job. As an employee, you’re putting all your hope in your employer, whose own business could be at risk of a robot rising. So the best advice we can give is to start adding skills and start marketing them as a business, or at least as a freelancer. Here are some basic strategies:
- Start a robot-safe business in one of the fields mentioned above
- Get re-trained by your company for a robot-safe job
- Move into a new field with safer jobs
- All of the above – diversify. Get a future-safe job; start freelancing; start a business. Do it all!
Finally, talk with our founder, William. He loves talking about the future and helping people find new businesses to open. Contact him today to schedule a complimentary consultation and protect yourself from the robot uprising!