According to forecast made by Futurist Thomas Frey – By 2030 (approximately 12 years from now) up to 2 Billion jobs may disappear, that is like 50% of all jobs in the world taken over by smart robots and machines.
But as these jobs disappear, new types of Jobs will also appear. The technology boom of today is already creating new kinds of job and business opportunities - the key for anyone to stay relevant will be in their ability to adapt.
Before we explore some of the ways we can adapt to the uncertainties of a ‘technofied’ future, let’s go back in time and take a cue from a man who was famous for accurately predicting many of the changes we find in today’s world.
Way back in the 1970’s, Alvin Toffler accurately predicted about the internet, social media and how integral society will be tied to these technologies.
Here is one of his most famous statements:
"The illiterate of the 21st Century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."
According to Alvin Toffler, the most important skill for the new century will be the skill of continuous learning.
But, don’t confuse this learning as one that will help you compete against machines or advanced processes (no matter how good you are with a typewriter, you cannot compete against a computer). Any task or job role that can be automated will be won over by robots and machines.
The only way we can really stay ahead of robots and machines of the future will be by focusing on our uniqueness, which is our humanity: Our unique ability to act from intuition, to empathize, love and be emotionally intelligent and more importantly; to enjoy the expression of life, family and friendship as a gift.
Creativity is an expression of our inner self, and no matter how efficiently cold a robot becomes, it would never be able to program for itself a soul.
Creativity is an expression of our inner self, and no matter how efficiently cold a robot becomes, it would never be able to program for itself a soul.
So, as the future rushes down at us with its deluge of uncertainties, here are some tips worthy of consideration:
Appreciate & Look for ways to apply new technologies in your daily live – Be a part of the wave, tryout new gadgets when you can. Do not let generational or other demo-graphical gaps make you feel ostracized from tech trends.
Stay up to date – Subscribe to news channels, social accounts and newsletters that cover latest updates or do periodical articles on science and tech (TechCrunch, TheNextWeb, Wired, Gizmodo, Cnet, Mashable, TheVerge, TechInsider are all very good examples.
Prepare for business and workplace change – Can my job be done by a machine in the nearest future? If so, how do I make myself more valuable? Remember to focus on your human strengths as you keep learning and seeking for ways to develop your innate skills.
Create a future plan, but be flexible about it – Now is not the time to be dead-set on a career or other personal plans. With the debut of one new technology, entire industries and sectors can be shaken to their core. Skills of today can become irrelevant tomorrow, while in some cases new high paying jobs may just gain prominence all of a sudden; good example is - Artificial Intelligence (AI) developers. So it is important that as you make plans for your future or those of your kids you to leave sufficient allowance for flexibility and make room for the unknown.
Consider the possibility of the Singularity – According to projections, the singularity will occur in about 25 years’ time. While there are lots of people who believe nothing of such nature will occur, it wouldn’t cost you too much to prepare for its eventuality. According to many futurists, the singularity is a point in time where machine intelligence surpasses human intelligence and continues to grow exponentially. How to prepare for such a time is beyond thought now, but being aware about its possibility is a good start.
Stay on top of updates – If everyone is moving towards quantum computers try not to be the last to join in. If there are recent updates available for software you use, try to update to fairly recent versions. Most cyber-attacks and hacks are successful when the victims are exposed with outdated software and devices.
Have a dooms day drill – While this may seem to be a pessimistic point of view, it is nonetheless an important point to consider. Surely but gradually, our lives have become more and more dependent on technologies and the infrastructure they run on. If for example the internet were to go down (yes, that’s a possibility), or a service sector like banks and finance crash, or when we become dependent on robots and they decide to go berserk on us (they have done so countless times in movies); what will be our response?
With technologies such as VR gaining steam, the divide between our real world and the digital world will become more blurred. Just as you prepare for natural disasters, it would be crucial to prepare for digital disasters.
CONCLUDING…
Even for futurists, the future is largely uncertain. This post is designed to help you get a framework for what the future can become and how you can assert yourself into it.The world has stepped into the time in history where its destiny will be written in Zero’s, One’s and Qubits. I believe everyone is entitled to this future, we only need to learn the best ways in which we can surf the tides.
