Whether you buy into the dystopian future fantasy as portrayed by the Terminator and reinforced by Elon Musk or you believe in the more utopian optimistic approach of Mark Zuckerberg, the fact remains that AI is rapidly becoming a vital part of our lives and it’s going to stay. Armageddon or Not!
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning have become the talk of the town world and a day doesn’t go by without another prediction on how it already is and going to impact the jobs. Experts at McKinsey, a US-based worldwide consulting firm, state approximately 70 million jobs will be impacted by automation by 2030 in the USA alone; in contrast, a report from Gartner states that AI may create more jobs than it eliminates. However, one thing is certain – we are witnessing a period of unprecedented change, and these statistics and predictions should be enough for making you pause and re-think about the relevance of your skills and abilities in the long term.
We have all witnessed how technological disruptions have dramatically changed the corporate structures. Starting from the invention of computers to the rise of the internet to the explosive outbreak of smartphones and tablets; every one of these disruptions was preceded by the predictions of mass unemployment. However, what happened was the complete opposite. With the rise of AI, sure, a lot many mundane and repetitive tasks/jobs will fall prey to the disruption caused by it but if past is any indicator, then it is safe to say that various new avenues of employment will arise as well.
So, in simpler words, No! The rise of AI won’t lead to mass unemployment. It might cause some uneasiness but half the population won’t end up unemployed. However, in order to still be relevant in an AI dominated corporate environment, humans will have to hone their unique skill sets which don’t have any substitutes or the ones that are required to effectively leverage AI for the benefit of the organization.
So whether you’re in a college, starting your career or have been a part of an organization for decades, here are some areas that you need to develop in order to stay relevant in an AI dominated workplace and world:
Keep Innovating: Even though we have established that AI won’t render the human population begging for jobs, it still threatens those jobs which are repetitive and could be easily automated. Therefore, employees need to explore alternative ways in which they can contribute to and outside their existing job profile. To do that, you’ll need to constantly reinvent yourself.
Upskill, Adapt & Stay Ahead of the Curve: With the fourth industrial revolution upon us, reflect on what you do well and what areas of your work could get automated with AI & ML in your industry. A lot of schools have begun acknowledging the need for artificial intelligence and machine learning-driven courses and are offering full time and part-time courses to equip you with the relevant skills. Look out for such schools and upskill yourself to stay ahead of the curve.
Develop Emotional Intelligence: When we talk about human skills which can never be replaced by a machine, Emotional Quotient (EQ) or Emotional Intelligence is at the top of that list. EQ, in simple terms, is your ability to understand people, their motivations and ways to work with them in a harmonious and cooperative manner. EQ is now considered as a more valuable trait than IQ for long term success because in any business people ultimately want to interact with humans and not follow a machine, literally and figuratively.
Work on Creative Problem Solving: Thinking out of the box, solving problems in unconventional ways, recognizing new opportunities etc. are some of the key traits that qualify as creative problem solving techniques and these skills will always be relevant regardless of how deeply AI penetrates the workplace. According to a study conducted by Adobe, 86 percent of 2000 educators in the USA, UK, Japan and Germany believe that students who possess creative skills are bound to bag higher-paying jobs in the future and won’t be affected by automation due to AI & ML.
AI and subsequent automation will change the face of many jobs, but it will create even more new opportunities. While these new opportunities don’t yet exist, the need for human skills to effectively maximise the potential of these opportunities will never become obsolete.
Incessant education, upskilling, relearning, exposure to different cultures, building and nurturing a diverse network of peers, and proactively seeking out feedback on your work will allow you to refine your unique human skills that is impossible for robots or machines to live up to. Regardless of how AI may or may not impact the workplace, demonstrating emotional intelligence, creativity, empathy, intellectual curiosity, and adaptability will serve you well for building a long, and rewarding career.
Every few decades, employees at all stages of their career get threatened by technological advances. Whether it is during the rise of computers & internet or the recent penetration of smartphones in our lives, each major technological advancement requires employees to upskill and reskill themselves to stay relevant with the changing times. Once again, the age of another technological renaissance is upon us and disciplines like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Analytics etc. are again rapidly changing the corporate landscape. And the only way to stay relevant for the employers in the future is dynamic reskilling by undertaking advanced technical & specialised education on the go.
The AI ecosystem is growing at an exponential pace while simultaneously impacting all the other relevant technologies and the world is not yet ready to comprehend all its manifestations. In such a volatile corporate environment, a proactive approach to prepare for the skills of the future is the most critical element for your success. While designing your career strategy, it is now time to think beyond your academic education, skills and experience; and seek out the newer short and long term skills that you’ll need to acquire or enhance.
Choosing a Specific Career Path with AI
Before you venture out on a new career path, you must figure out what kind of a profile you want to pursue. There are various job profiles available in the domain of AI & ML. For instance, you can design AI enabled products and services, explore real world problems where AI solutions can be applied, evaluate and develop algorithms, conduct research to advance current technologies, undertake data mining and analysis to create value, design software and information infrastructure etc.
The key thing to remember is that while academic education, skills and experience from various job roles need to be aligned when it comes to following a traditional career path, the same is not the case when you venture out in the domain of AI. You can pursue a career in AI across various constructs in almost all industries like manufacturing, marketing, transportation, finance, art, research, medical, military. AI has made its way into almost every industry imaginable and there is a huge gap between demand and supply of right talent in all of them.
How to Prepare for Roles in AI
Technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Cognitive Computing are quite easy to learn if you possess enough motivation, plan your routine in a systematic manner and persistently invest your time in taking courses from Coursera or similar platforms. But if you can’t set a routine or don’t wish to spend months experimenting on various AI tools, then you should opt for formal education.
The rapid growth of online education portals and blended learning models offered by various institutions have ensured that you can reskill yourself faster than ever before. If you do not wish to quit your job for pursuing full-time courses, then online learning is a great help. On the other hand, if you are at the beginning of your career and love solving challenging problems, then a formal education from a top institution offering specialization in AI & ML is the right launching platform.
Once you complete your learning, build a couple of minor projects to figure out what you enjoy the most and can directly relate to your area of expertise. AI is a lot more than just algorithms and programming languages. Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Neural Networks, Cognitive Computing, Computer Vision, Language Translation, Natural Language Processing; there is no limit to the scope of AI. Once you complete your learning, you’ll eventually find your feet in this domain.
Conclusion
If the risk of you losing your job is high due to the rise of AI, it is not because you lack talent but because these technological advances are causing unprecedented disruptions in the corporate segment. Yes, a lot many jobs are going to become obsolete when AI takes over the business landscape, but an equal number of new opportunities will arrive as well. So, the time is now to take charge of the future of your career. The changes are coming fast but the good news is that you have never before seen opportunities to learn AI and stay ahead of the curve. Undoubtedly, it is going to be challenging but it will also be highly rewarding for your career.
