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Questions for the Speaking Club

1. What is the general tone of the animated film? (choose from the adjective above the film)
2. How will we live in a totally automated world?
3. What jobs of the future would you want to pursue? Why?
4. Do you think your current job or skill set is irreplaceable by algorithms and machines? Draw arguments.
5. Do you believe that in the very end there’ll be only one job left? If yes – what job will it be?
6. Are you concerned that AI will take over humanity?
7. What do you think is a sustainable job?
8. What makes a workplace fair and inclusive? 
9. What should be done, from your standpoint, to protect those who are under threat of unemployment-associated poverty?
10. What do you think about the so-called [так называемый] universal basic income (read at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_basic_income)?

Robots Will Take Our Jobs And We Need A Plan: 4 Scenarios For The Future

by Blake Morgan. Source: forbes.com

Here’s the truth: Robots are already starting to take jobs from hourly human workers, and it’s going to continue. Research from McKinsey found that 45% of current jobs can be automated. We need to stop avoiding the situation and create real solutions to help displaced workers. You can’t simply put a stop on technology innovation. Bans often create worse situations than allowing people to innovate but closely watching how we innovate, and the impact to society. Many famous leaders have joined Elon Musk to start something called Open AI, a non-profit artificial intelligence (AI) research company that aims to promote and develop friendly AI in such a way as to benefit humanity as a whole.

I have read many books on the subject, and the level of pessimism varies. I found The Sentient Machine by Amir Husain more optimistic about the impact of AI on society, as opposed to the book Rise of The Robots by Martin Ford - more of a cautionary tale that raises concerns about how robots, automation and AI will take all jobs (not just blue collar but also white collar). I found Ford's version of the future to be frankly terrifying.

The thing is no one knows for certain what will happen in the future, but there are a number of ways displaced workers could survive. Here are just a few.

The majority of jobs that have been displaced or that are at risk for being displaced are process-driven jobs. These are positions that can easily be automated, such as manufacturing, customer service and transportation. Robots and AI can simply do these types of jobs faster and more efficiently than humans. In order to have a productive future, many experts suggest humans and robots need to work alongside each other. Robots need to do jobs that can be automated, and humans need to do the jobs that require a personal or creative touch.

Displaced workers could potentially get re-trained to apply their skills elsewhere. A displaced customer service employee knows how to solve problems and be efficient. They could potentially re-skill to build on their existing skills and work in a different area.

Even employees who aren’t at risk for being displaced should expand their skills. People move between jobs more often these days, and that provides opportunities to expand their skill sets. The most prepared employees take advantage of online courses, community college classes and industry seminars to expand their skills and even get certifications in new areas. Many companies already provide training and re-skilling for their employees. Perhaps more organizations and governments need to follow in their footsteps.

Bill Gates recently said that AI is a positive for society and that "displaced workers could fill gaps that currently exist elsewhere in the labor market—like elder care, teaching and support for special needs children.” Instead of learning new skills, this solution encourages workers to use their existing skills in a new industry.

While it’s true there are often plenty of jobs available in these areas, unfortunately, these important jobs often don’t pay well. In large cities, like where I live in the Bay Area, working in these jobs simply wouldn’t give people enough money to live without a universal basic income. However, these positions are fairly safe from being displaced by robots and can provide job security.

The displacement problem is difficult to solve because we can’t see the future. We don’t know what skills will be the most useful in the future or what technology will be the most prevalent. New inventions could be introduced that turn everything on its head and require new skills.

If this is the case, displaced workers could potentially have more options of where to go. However, it also makes it difficult to encourage workers in jobs that are at risk of being replaced by robots to expand their skillset if we don’t know what skills will be the most important.

Some experts have predicted that soft human skills like communication, creativity and empathy will always be needed because robots can’t replicate those skills. However, new inventions could open the door to other hard skills that could be required and in high demand in the future.

Another potential idea is that not everyone will work. It could be that displaced human workers can’t re-skill and don’t have it in them to fill the more human-driven roles. This would obviously lead to higher unemployment numbers, which would have a large impact on society and the economy.

The impacts of this possibility are far-reaching. It’s possible we would see more people using welfare and needing affordable housing options. Society would have to find something displaced workers could do to contribute and make a difference, even in a small way.

Perhaps it will be more of a sci-fi situation where only people who want to work will work. All other tasks will be done by robots, and those who choose not to work can enjoy other activities. That extreme possibility is definitely a long way off, though it can still be considered.

AI and robots are the inevitable future. They will play a role in everyone’s future jobs, whether that means they make it easier or replace it. We need to have conversations now about what to do with displaced workers so we can be prepared when the time comes.