AI Isn’t Killing Jobs, It’s Creating New Ones

AI Isn’t Killing Jobs, It’s Creating New Ones

 

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP BY:

 

Artificial intelligence might sound like the enemy. After all, no one wants to imagine a world where robots have taken over and jobs are scarce.

 

The truth is, AI isn’t killing jobs. The technology is actually creating a wide array of new jobs, but as expected, new skills are necessary.

 

Before giving up on finding your dream job because AI is the future, embrace AI and see what new skills you need to learn to still remain a highly sought after talent.

 

Spreading False Fear

 

For years, we’ve all heard the same story – automation will destroy jobs. Even the New York Times reported on how many jobs have been lost to automation. However, what those stories don’t say is automation and quickly advancing AI technology are no different than any other major economic shift.

 

It’s natural to feel like AI is killing jobs if you’re one of the people who’ve been laid off as machines took over. Yet, all of this has happened before time and time again. When farm equipment made it easier and faster to tend crops, thousands lost their jobs. The birth of the Internet took many jobs as people began doing more interactions online, like shopping and paying bills.

 

Throughout history, economic situations have drastically changed as the way we do things has shifted. The one thing that always happens is new jobs are created as a result. Before you give in to the fear being spread, remember, it’s a false fear. AI isn’t killing anything.

 

A Shift In Skills

 

Yes, it’s true that jobs are lost, but they’re replaced by others. If the majority of jobs were lost every time experts reported that a new technology was taking over, the last few generations would have never even had a job, let alone have one to lose.

 

Instead of AI killing jobs it’s creating a shift in the skills necessary to be qualified for a job. To go back to the farming example, to be successful, farmers had to learn how to use and maintain their new equipment versus doing things manually. That took time, but it also created jobs for farmers who were great mechanics. They could focus on fixing the equipment versus working on the farm. Those jobs didn’t exist until others were lost.

 

Some Winners And Losers

 

With a shift in skills comes a shift in industry as well. One UK-based report shows the harsh truth about AI and how it will hurt jobs in some industries while boosting jobs in others. For instance, the report shows a nearly 25% decrease in jobs in manufacturing, but over a 20% boost in the health industry. The same report stated AI could create as many as 7.2 million new jobs by 2037. Not only would this number replace the jobs lost, but boost available jobs by approximately 200,000.

 

Despite the naysayers, AI will never replace all jobs. After all, AI is created by humans and it’ll be filled with human errors. Until the day when nothing can be hacked (which is never) and technology never glitches, AI won’t take over.

 

Making The Transition

 

Before you panic that you won’t have the right skills, remember the Internet has revolutionized the way people learn. Long before your current job is replaced, take online courses. Some employers are even happy with digital certificates for individual skills versus degrees. Preparing now makes you a must-have candidate when it comes time to find an AI proof job.

 

AI Creates New Jobs

 

Before you start learning something new, it’s important to understand what types of jobs AI is creating. Believe it or not, programming isn’t the only valuable skill to have. Inc. has put together a list of 21 jobs that are being created by the AI revolution.

 

While many are tech-related, such as edge computing manager, others are more low tech. For instance, as the way we handle finances change, more financial advisors are needed. Another low tech option is senior care companions.

 

Overall, the more tech skills you learn, the more you’ll future-proof your chances of having a great job. Remember, AI isn’t killing jobs. It’s just changing the type of jobs available.

 

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