What the Futurists Say While it’s difficult to predict the exact impact of technology across the entire job market, there is no doubt that some occupations are at risk as companies move toward reliable automation of certain tasks. Most experts in the field, though, believe that the digital economy will feature new roles working in concert with intelligent systems. Well known author and futurist Martin Ford believes that while artificial intelligence and robotics are going to have a dramatic impact on the job market, it will be different this time relative to what we’ve seen in the past. “The key is that the machines, in a limited sense, are beginning to think. I mean, they’re taking on cognitive capabilities. So, what that means is that technology is finally encroaching on that fundamental capability that so far has allowed us to really stay ahead of the march of progress, and remain relevant,” Ford said. “When you really look at this focus on cognitive capability, [at] the fact that the machines are beginning to move into that space, which so far has protected people… that, as we look forward – again, I’m not
talking about next year, or three years from now even, but I’m thinking in terms of decades, ten years from now, twenty years from now – what’s it going to look like as these technologies continue to accelerate? It does seem to me that there’s very likely to be a disruption.” Continued economic growth will require the deep insights that come from AI and automation, but will also require the creativity and empathy that come from human beings connected in a global society. Stanford University academic Jerry Kaplan said that while it’s true that today’s machines can credibly perform many tasks that were once reserved for humans, that doesn’t mean the machines are growing more intelligent and ambitious. “It just means they’re doing what we built them to do,” he said. “We’ve been replacing skilled and knowledgeable workers for centuries, but the machines don’t aspire to better jobs and higher employment.” Of course, humans do aspire to elevate themselves and knowing this workforce shift is on the horizon is encouraging leaders to chart a path in the right direction for the next generation.
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CompTIAWorld | SPRING 2018
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