What Do You Do?

Please join me each week for experiences, observations, and thoughts related to the upcoming project launch (March 2019). Your likes, comments, and shares are very much appreciated…and thanks for taking the time to stop by! Nigel Oliveira  Nigel’s LinkedIn Profile

Special Series on Artificial Intelligence and related Technology, 1 of 10: Work

I’m very much looking forward to this coming weekend’s “Design TO Symposium: Unlocking the Future of Work”. In particular, I’m anticipating some great talks and idea exchanges…from Chloe Waretini and Tom Morin about ‘Meaningful Work’, and Shihan Zhang, Christopher Pandolfi, Daniel Daam-Rossi, and Sam McGarva on the topic of ‘Ethics’.

Both these topics are directly related to my upcoming business, and will be explored in Events we’ll create in multiple countries.

What Do You Do?

There is a strong and powerful relationship between work and identity.  I think it’s fair to say that when someone of ‘working age’ is asked, “What do you do?”, the majority of the time, people are asking what type of job they perform. I also think it’s fair to say, that could change significantly in the relatively near future.

For most people, it’s no surprise that advances in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are going to render obsolete many kinds of jobs. However, based on my research, observations, and conversations, the majority of the population has very little idea how far and wide these changes will extend.

Behind The Wheel AND The 8-Ball.

There has been a great deal of publicity about potential impacts to those who drive for a living. This includes Truckers, Cab Drivers, and Transit Operators, to name but a few. Even Race Car Drivers’ days might be numbered…I mean, who would be able to out-perform a robot on a race course?

On our current path, it’s only a matter of time until the move to autonomous vehicles takes place. Unlike some others, I’m quite skeptical on the timeframe. I think there are going to be many more technical and non-technical risks/issues than currently anticipated…not the least of which will be people fighting back against losing their jobs. In fact, there have already been reports of people attacking self-driving cars!

AI Rules.

What might shock many people is that certain jobs which might have appeared safe, aren’t.

A significant number of roles can be reduced to a set of heuristics, including some types of Doctors, Lawyers, and Advisors…those jobs can be replaced, and relatively quickly and easily. Someone who has spent several years and a small fortune getting trained, might find sooner rather than later that their services are no longer required.

Even artists won’t be completely safe. Advanced Programming can synthesize input from dozens, even hundreds, of sources and produce something that is essentially unique. Want to write an opera? Just ask your iOpera App (coming 2023 – you’re welcome, Apple) to produce a new work that’s 50% Mozart, 30% Verdi, and 20% Danny Elfman.

So, what do you do about ‘What Do You Do’? Some tips:

• When planning longer-term, look for overall trends
• When planning shorter-term, remember to be flexible, as new industries and jobs are appearing all the time
• Rather than assume your job/industry is safe, it might be better to assume it isn’t unless the evidence suggests otherwise

After our Business Launch (Mar 2019), we’ll be helping people explore and address these types of considerations, and many others as well.

Please be sure to join us next week for our next Big Tech topic, ‘Basic Income’! We’ll also include an update on the Micro-Project (grant awarded last year).