The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the job market is a big concern for students thinking about their future careers. With advances in technology and automation, many roles could become vulnerable over the next decade or two. So how can you identify the career paths likely to be most disrupted by AI when planning your studies?
Understand How AI and Automation Affect Jobs
First, it pays to understand broadly how AI and automation stand to impact various professions. While no job is completely future-proof, artificial intelligence affects some more than others.
AI is suited for automating routine tasks rather than whole jobs. This includes data collection and processing, calculations, communicating, producing, and mechanical workflows. However, AI still struggles with flexibility, judgment, empathy, dexterity, and advanced reasoning.
Roles focused on the latter capabilities may be safer. However, if a job involves predicting outcomes, recognizing patterns, planning, coordinating logistics, modifying instructions, or communicating – without needing social skills – it could be at high risk of automation. With machine learning advancements though, even some non-routine jobs may eventually be affected.
Evaluate Exposure Based on Job Activities and Tasks
Since AI replaces tasks rather than full roles, students should break down their career of interest into core activities. Assess each activity’s exposure to automation based on AI’s current strengths and limitations.
For example, radiologists interpret medical images to diagnose conditions – mostly using pattern recognition. AI can now analyze images as well or better. However, radiologists also communicate with doctors and patients. Such social interaction makes replacing the entire role difficult despite other automated tasks.
Consider all regular job duties, the knowledge needed, equipment used, work settings, training requirements, and types of decisions made. Track how susceptible each piece is to AI takeover. This will give you a realistic picture of automation risk that static predictions ignoring duties and contexts can lack.
Research Predictions About Your Occupation
Experts are already making predictions about which jobs seem safer or more threatened by AI in the coming years.
So directly research forecasts around any careers you have in mind. Reports by reputable organizations like the World Economic Forum and universities examine expected trends across industries. These provide outlooks on the kinds of digital skills needed in different fields also. For example according to Glenn Chua from Task Us,
The Autonomous Vehicle (AV) market is accelerating at breakneck speed. On the fast lane to growth, it's projected to reach $5 trillion1 in 2031, with a CAGR of 36.3%.
Obviously, this was based on his research studies and references but you can get an idea of what is expected of this new technology. So, don’t just look at downsides but also at complementary or entirely new roles AI itself spawns.
Prioritize Transferable Human Skills
Importantly, focus your education on broadly transferable human strengths over narrow technical abilities too.
Subject matter mastery has value but can lock you into an occupation vulnerable to emerging technologies. Expert thinking and complex communication ability though apply across contexts and are hard to automate. Creative arts like music and theater build such adaptive talent through constant iteration, emotional skills, collaboration, dealing with ambiguity, public performances, improvisation, quick problem-solving, and expressiveness.
Yes – digital marketing skills today give an edge. But as a purely digital function, parts of marketing could change fast with AI while overall human creativity, empathy, and connection matter most long term.
Ideally, combine technological competency with flexible human talents.
Consider New Age Careers
Today’s students should think beyond even current job landscape forecasts.
Entirely new categories of careers will emerge alongside and from AI itself that schools don’t teach yet. We already see this with positions like AI ethicists, transparency analysts, MLOps engineers, de-biasing consultants, and autopilot safety directors.
In the future, roles could appear for automated vehicle designers, VR therapists, drone traffic coordinators, augmented reality experience developers, neural implant network engineers, fitness wearables data scientists, and jobs we can’t even imagine.
So don’t fixate just on today’s threatened careers without keeping an open, forward-looking mindset. The rise of AI itself will generate new vocations too. Experiment and keep exploring.
Temper Worries With Optimism
It’s natural to feel anxious about AI’s impact on the job market. But we’ve adapted to past technology revolutions through history as well to ultimately create more prosperity and meaningful roles. There will be challenging transitions again too but in 10 or 20 years, we usually look back with optimism at the progress made.
Also read: 10 Proven Strategies for Career Advancement
So temper worries with positive visions for how jobs can evolve alongside AI to unlock new potentials without losing our purpose. Your career may transform but likely won’t ever disappear completely. Focus on building versatile human skills while staying lightly attached to fixed vocational identities. Keep learning, keep trying, and the future will work out fine!
Stay tuned to my blog also for more regular insights into AI trends across industries and planning career moves intelligently. We’re in for an interesting ride ahead!
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