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Although AI take over some tasks so far performed by people, it will not replace many roles, behaviours, and values. It will deal with routine calculations, analyses, and optimisation functions but still base on the goals set by human creativity. Some of these tasks will require a symbiosis between human and AI. People will continue to play roles that require social bonds, emotional intelligence, or artistry.
Artificial intelligence and labor market
There is an understandable fear of the consequences that a person may incur in connection with his profession’s security. “About 50% of our jobs will, in fact, be taken over by AI and automation within the next 15 years. […] As the research suggests, the pace in which AI will replace jobs will only accelerate, impacting the highly trained and poorly educated alike.” – as said by the IT specialist, writer, and expert in the field of AI, Kai-Fu Lee.
However, it is unlikely that people will decide to interact with a soulless robot for traditional activities and services. Companies will always need a director, manager, or specialist with reliable emotional intelligence and teamwork skills.
Boundaries not to be crossed
Given the limitations of AI, there are still many professions that will resist the infiltration of AI in terms of performing humanistic, creative, and compassion-demanding tasks. AI experts list activities and predispositions that AI is not capable of yet. It cannot:
- feel empathy and compassion;
- create, conceptualize, manage complex strategic planning,
- perform complex work that requires precise hand-eye coordination;
- deal with unknown and disordered spaces, especially those that it has not registered visually;
- understand the situational context, assess the situation and recognize the meaning;
- replace tasks considered to be creative or services that require unconventional thinking or trying something that has not yet been done.
Based on a groundbreaking 2013 study inspired by a text ‘Will the robots take my job?‘ a list of selected professions was created that will be safe in the coming years. The probability of AI crowding out these jobs was expressed in %.
1. Human resource manager (0.55%)
Probably, a company will always need a person who can deal with interpersonal conflict thanks to non-cognitive skills. Forecasts say that in 2024, demand for them will even increase by 9% because companies are growing and need more solid structures to support employees.
2. Sales manager (1.3%)
Each company wants to achieve high financial results, establish contacts with customers, build sales teams and motivate them to act. For this to happen, people with a high level of emotional intelligence are necessary and irreplaceable. In sales, you should also be able to analyze data and interpret trends. The high degree of intelligence required, as well as the constant need to adapt to new situations, make this role safe from automation.
3. Marketing manager (1.4%)
In this position, one must be able to interpret data, monitor trends, control campaigns and creation of advertising content. Also, it’s crucial to adapt skilfully to the situation and respond to changes. They must show understanding of the target group and create marketing strategies matched to them. Artificial intelligence is not ready for this yet.
4. Public relations manager (1.5%)
Employment in this area is expected to increase by 7% by 2024, which makes the job of PR manager safe. This profession, more than any other, requires direct interaction with people and continuous networking. Especially, when you need to raise funds or encourage people to take part in a campaign.
5. Chief executive (1.5%)
While AI can be used to manage performance, automated leadership is impossible. Good chiefs should be able to build interpersonal interactions, and possess the ability to motivate, negotiate, and often convince large teams of people. They must inform about the strategy and present the company’s goals and profit reports to interested parties who probably prefer it to be done by a man, not a robot.
6. Event manager (3.7%)
Event planning is a growing field – events for employees, clients, and industry meetings, even for many thousands, are organised more and more often. Their planning is logistically complicated and requires special coordination and negotiation with suppliers and contractors. The skills associated with this process make this role impossible to automate.
7. Writer (3.8%)
Writing, especially literary works, requires one of the highest levels of creativity. Its success is based on original ideas, exciting characters, a captivating story, and a poetic language. While AI will be able to write automated posts on social networks, suggest titles, and maybe even imitate writing styles, the best blogs, books and movie scripts will still be written by people.
8. Software developer (4.2%)
Experts predict that the demand for IT positions will increase by 19% by 2024. Also the McKinsey report shows that the number of engineering specialists, such as IT specialists, engineers, IT administrators, and consultants, will increase by 2030. These professions require being up to date with technology, especially in areas not automated by AI. Software developers will create increasingly more complex and innovative products, which is already difficult to do by men.
9. Editor (5.5%)
Although there is software that checks texts for clarity and potential plagiarism, robots do not perform complex editorial tasks. The editor must personally review the written text for logic, clarity, accuracy, comprehensiveness, and originality.
10. Graphic designer (8.2%)
Like writing, an artist must create a graphic design. Their work has to be original and also made according to the client’s wishes. AI is likely able to take some steps in this field, due to the fact that graphic design is both artistic and technical. In general, however, this profession is not in big jeopardy.
Safe areas in the AI world
According to Kai-Fu Lee, the choice of safe areas is based on his many years of AI, business, and investment research.
“We must remember that our human talent for compassion and empathy will be a valuable resource for the future workforce, and jobs related to care, creativity, and education will remain key to our society.”
1. Medical care, psychiatry, physiotherapy
An aging population increases healthcare needs. Health care professionals, such as doctors and nurses, will continue to perform their roles based on compassion and support. Psychiatry, social work, and counseling are professions that require strong communication skills and customer confidence. Physiotherapy, including massage, involves working with hands and detecting reactions from the client’s body. All these features are desirable while doing any form of therapy mean that these professions, by their very nature, will not include AI.
2. Teaching
AI will become a tool for teachers and educational institutions. It will support them in personalizing the curriculum based on the competences, progress, skills, and temperament of individual students. However, the teaching itself will continue to be focused on helping students identify their interests, teach self-study, and provide personal mentoring.
3. Science
Science is the highest form of human creativity. AI will not replace scientists; it can only strengthen their work and create excellent tools for them. For example, it can be used in drug development – to hypothesize, test its possible uses, or filter for disease, which scientists should consider.
4. Law
Experience in the courtroom, gaining customer trust, reasoning, and the ability to persuade are examples of cognitive complexity, strategies, and interpersonal interactions. All this is way beyond AI’s capabilities. However, a lot of parallels and preparatory work, such as document review, analysis, and contract creation, can be done better and more efficiently thanks to AI.
Summary
Can you prepare for the development of automation by AI? Experts say that you can. Even if by defining skills and traits that are irreplaceable, and improving them.
Prepare yourself for the changes on the job market by developing specific skills
When work requires a lot of tasks that a robot can perform, you can consider undertaking a project that will teach you management and leadership. If a company offers professional development, it is worth picking up training in more creative skills, such as public speaking, writing, and graphic design. This way, it is easier to change roles or make your work more valuable by combining logistic, non-cognitive and creative competences.
If you’ve found your profession or work area on this list, it probably means you don’t have to worry about AI taking on your job. You did not? Take a look at this article, where we describe 10 professions that AI is more likely to replace.
Sources:
1. Medium – “10 job that are safe in and AI world“
2. Hubspot Blog – “10 Jobs Artificial Intelligence Will Replace“
3. CNBC – “These American workers are the most afraid of A.I. taking their jobs”
