In many countries, people are facing the issue of unemployment. Governments of various countries have blamed immigrants or other factors for this issue. However, technological advancements like Artificial Intelligence and Robots are responsible for replacing humans. Many traditional jobs like packing, sorting and administrative work today is being replaced by technology. Rapid technological advancements make it necessary that humans upgrade and learn new skills throughout their lives. A single career, however, is realistic even in today’s society if the professionals learn to adapt and learn new skills with the advancement in technology.
It is believed that technological innovations will replace humans in most professions either fully or partially. Many studies and researchers conducted say that AI will replace most jobs by 2040. This can already be seen in blue-collar jobs like machine operation and food delivery. However, it is also estimated that more than 500 million jobs will be replaced by AI. While it seems that humans will be replaced completely in the job sector, which is not the case. This is because, while AI and robots will replace traditional job functions, it will also create new jobs. The creation of new jobs makes it important that individuals today learn new skills and perform different job tasks. For example, people might need to build upon their computer knowledge and technical skills. With AI and robotics coming to the forefront people might need to learn skills like problem-solving, creativity and communication. Therefore, if a person wants to remain in a single career for life it is necessary to work within these fields otherwise their jobs might be destroyed by technology.
Though AI might automate most of the jobs, there are jobs that will remain in demand and cannot be replaced by AI and robotics. Though AI and robotics might work well in many fields there are fields where AI still needs humans to succeed. An example of this can be Google Translate, which translates simple phrases extremely well but if creative phrases or idioms are fed into google translate it results in inaccurate results. Another example can be of customer service, while virtual assistants are trained to greet and understand questions, the dataset is extremely limited which results in repetitive responses and options. If the customer has a complex question it is almost never understood by the chatbot and may lead to frustrating and negative customer experience. Thus, it can be seen that AI cannot replace human skills like empathy or deal with conflict resolution and negotiations. Hence, single career options are possible especially in job sectors like psychology, education, health care and communication where the focus is on complex cognitive skills.
Though it is to be understood that professionals even in these job sectors might have to upgrade their skills and adapt to new changes. For instance, teachers may need to learn new apps to grade papers, teachers who think out of the box, are creative and with the help of AI can better plan, personalise and facilitate the learning process. People with knowledge of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) will be an important part of the workforce in the AI-driven industry. Therefore, people choosing to stay within a single career and progress in their profession are in luck, if they choose to learn the above-mentioned skills.
There is also a growing trend of outsourcing jobs which makes it difficult to keep a single career. The outsourcing has also given rise to new kind of jobs where people are combining two or more skills. People who constantly change and upgrade skills will remain in the job market and maintain their jobs. For example, management consultants can continue in a single job and provide people with insights into organising their companies. In a society where change is the norm, a single career is possible for those who continuously change.
Thus, it may seem that technological advances may not allow people to have a single career. A single career choice is possible even in a technologically changing society. This is especially true for professionals working in the field of education, technology, education and communication. Technology still needs to compete with the complexity of the human mind and its varied responses. It can be said that technology has a long way to go in replacing humans completely in certain fields because of their multi-faceted skills.