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The Impact of AI on Future Career Choices

Background

The future of employment is a research paper that assesses over 700 current occupations, and its conclusion is that half of these jobs will disappear in the next decade. So, what are the specific situations for various professions, and how should individuals respond? Let's take a closer look.

Occupations That Will Disappear

The professions that will disappear first include drivers, retail clerks, referees, and general clerks. Among these, drivers, encompassing various transportation roles such as taxi drivers, truck drivers, and airline pilots, will be replaced by self-driving vehicles with fewer errors.

Most of these jobs have characteristics of clear-cut rules, fewer technical requirements, and high replaceability.

Occupations that won't disappear in the short term but will gradually diminish include doctors, routine programmers, firefighters, and police officers. Among them, the medical profession carries high risks and substantial human error consequences; routine programmers will be replaced by artificial intelligence self-programming; for high-risk jobs like firefighters and police officers, robots have a clear advantage, and in case processing, AI can explore more possibilities than humans.

Occupations That Won't Disappear

Occupations that are unlikely to disappear include judges, primary school teachers, clergy, innovative designers, and singers. For instance, judges' professions involve ethical issues (machines cannot convict or determine life and death); during early education, children need to develop a sense of independent learning and humanity, which requires teachers' guidance; clergy members (priests, monks, ministers, etc.) are unlikely to be replaced.

A common characteristic of these professions is human care, ethical values, and innovation.

Choosing a Career Path

In the future society, jobs that cannot be replaced by machines and artificial intelligence require three key qualities:

  • Empathy
  • Teamwork
  • Storytelling ability

Empathy, or the ability to empathize and think from others' perspectives, is essential. Many times, demands do not surface on their own but need us to project our thoughts onto others to discover those needs, rather than solely focusing on technical implementation.

Empathy

Teamwork is related to the "longboard effect." Modern society does not require every individual to cover their weaknesses but to focus on developing their expertise and compensate for weaknesses through teamwork. Building a team of individuals with complementary strengths is the key to success. If everyone tries to be a "jack of all trades" and possesses mediocre skills, how can such a team stand out in the competition?

Teamwork

The ability to tell a compelling story is crucial for maintaining a team's internal cohesion, as it requires shared values. Externally, convincing others to accept your ideas and use your products also demands storytelling skills. Learning to tell a story that resonates with all stakeholders is vital. Value is not only influenced by the product itself; effective communication is equally critical.

Conclusion

The Luddite movement couldn't stop the tide of the Industrial Revolution. For ordinary individuals, personal strength cannot oppose the trends of the era. Predicting the waves of the time and riding them will lead to better personal development.

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This post is translated using ChatGPT, please feedback if any omissions.