A few days back, I came across a website link ‘Will Robots Take My Job’ that got me thinking. I was pretty relieved to find that writers only have a 4% chance of becoming extinct at a time ruled by machines and advanced technology. Some other jobholders, however, will not be so lucky.
Sure, a lot of people are pretty excited about what the future holds for us. But not everyone will be happy when the time comes. If an Oxford University study is anything to go by, then 45% of current jobs will disappear in the next decade or so. That leaves us to contemplate how to provide for those who end up losing their jobs to automation, machine learning, AI, and its manifestations.
This can greatly impact how you decide to plan your future. So here are the 10 jobs that are most likely to go extinct once we move on to a fully automated future, all due to artificial intelligence (AI).
10 jobs likely to disappear, thanks to artificial intelligence (AI)
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1. Farmers
While under-developed nations may still find a human labor-intensive farming system, developed nations look to replace farmers with robots and machines altogether. With drones that spray seeds and robots that test soil samples for pesticides and fertility, AI will gradually be able to conduct all farming activities.
While it may sound ridiculous, very soon around ten food retail biggies will be everything you eat. You may know some of them already, for they include Coca-Cola, Nestle, Associated British Foods, Kellogg’s, Mars, and more.
2. Compensation and benefits managers
With companies growing in size with each passing day, bringing about a fully automated payroll system is the need of the day. Studies expect jobs to grow by 7% by 2024. Those sectors will all need automated payroll to manage and keep track of transactions in the future.
Hence, compensation and benefits managers are 96% likely to lose their jobs, thanks to AI. Depending on a human and paper-based system of maintaining payroll is not only likely to take up a lot of time, but it is not environmentally conscious either. So it looks like compensation and benefits can be taken care of by robots, after all.
3. Drivers
This includes bus drivers, truck drivers, taxi drivers, and drivers of other heavy machinery. If your job involves driving any kind of machine or vehicle, the chances are that you will soon be out of your job.
That includes around 7.4 million drivers in the trucking industry in the USA alone. If you are familiar with Tesla, you must know that its automated cars are the talk of the town. With tech-reliant governments like Germany opting for self-driven cars and trucks on the road, we will soon be in the driverless future.
4. Accountants and bookkeepers
Accountancy and bookkeeping involve a whole lot of repetitive tasks. And that is what makes them ideal for machine takeovers. Most tax and balance sheet preparation needs can be met with AI-powered software.
Bookkeepers and accountants are 98% likely to be replaced by robots and AI-enabled software. FreshBooks and QuickBooks are already killing it with their automated bookkeeping tasks. So, if you are an accountant or bookkeeper of the modern age, sharpen the skill sets that do not involve repetitive tasks.
5. Proofreaders
The likelihood of proofreaders being entirely replaced by robots or applications is somewhere around 84%. When you have apps like Hemingway Editor and Grammarly, there is no reason why you will choose to hire a proofreader, right?
Loads of technologies enable you to revise and edit documents, academic papers, blogs, and books to perfection. It makes self-checking easier for the ones involved. Truth be told, digital proofreaders online are way more effective than their human counterparts and can reduce human error from minimal to none.
6. Financial analysts
Financial analysts have an eye for detail. They spot trends before anyone else can, and accordingly advise companies on growing their revenue. However, with AI-enabled software that can smartly predict market trends with more accuracy, their jobs are soon becoming outdated.
Artificially intelligent financial analyst software can predict trends that allow companies to rake in billions of dollars in revenue. 30% of banking sector jobs are all set to vanish with the advent of AI in mainstream industries, and with it, the jobs of financial analysts as well.
7. Receptionists
Right now, we are standing at a point where receptionists are 96% likely to be replaced by AI and modern technology. Automated telephone answering systems that attend to calls at scheduled times can replace the roles of plenty of receptionists in the modern day.
Most modern technology companies don’t rely on an office-wide telephonic communication system. Hence, the role of receptionists in Silicon Valley-like sectors is gradually becoming slimmer to non-existent with time.
8. Manufacturing workers
If you were afraid of the day robots worked at factories instead of humans, then you are in for a rude shock. Take Foxconn, for example. It manufactures loads of things, like iPhones and Xboxes.
They replaced 60,000 workers with robots recently. Manufacturing is thus one of the first industries that are ushering in the future in the truest sense. Automated assembly line production and manufacturing jobs can keep the factories running 24*7, catering to the increased demands of consumers the world over.
9. Bank tellers and representatives
First came the machines in the form of ATMs, and then came the banking apps. With AI all poised to merge with the banking sector, it looks like tellers and representatives won’t have a job to go to within the next decade. AI won’t just be able to complete cash transactions, but it can also take care of loan applications and sanctioning processes.
AI-enabled banking software can do 90% of a bank representative and teller’s job with 100% accuracy. People will prefer having their bank inside an app or a portable box (at most) rather than having to queue up for money at banks.
10. Advertising and retail salespeople
Advertising is gradually shifting away from television and print media. We go a step closer to the future with every new carousel advertisement we gape at and double-dap on Instagram. People do not have to manage sales at the print and television end where marketers do not want to buy ad space.
Self-serving advertisement marketplaces are making the jobs of ad salespeople redundant. The same goes for the in-store salespeople who assist you with everything, from buying a car to picking the perfect engagement ring. Apps and robots are replacing them gradually, making it difficult for workers in the industry.
Summing it up
If you thought AI would only disrupt assembly line productions and affect the jobs of workers at the factories, then think again. Artificial intelligence is doing a better job than humans in most sectors, and that is just at the testing stage.
Imagine what more it can take over once it gets full reigns of an industry. Those who are working in the 10 job sectors discussed above must look for alternative sources of work in the future. You have been warned about what is to come. Good luck!
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