A few decades ago, doom and gloom surrounded predictions about how the internet was going to eliminate nearly all of the jobs across the globe, and despite those unfounded fears, the advent of the internet ended up increasing work opportunities. In fact, according to the World Economic Forum, the new technology introduced through the internet lead to millions of jobs and 10% of the US’s GDP. Throughout time, human beings have distinguished themselves from other living things by creating new innovations that sometimes led to fears which eventually led to adaptation and improvement.
Innovation and Improvement
AI isn’t new, but its fast growth has created the same sense of fear that the spread of the internet caused so many decades ago. However, the World Economic Forum states that compared to the advent of the internet, “AI is poised to create even greater growth in the US and global economies.” Whether or not you’re completely captivated by the AI developments happening before your eyes today, the developments, innovations, and forward motion is already in play. Human beings will continue to innovate and improve AI, so it’s important to know what to watch for in the coming decades.
Changes to Watch
No matter what form of AI you’re keeping your eye on, it’s not perfect yet. Keep in mind, though, that the goal of Artificial Intelligence has always been to improve worker productivity while increasing economic growth in every career field. Some data scientists predict that by 2025, AI will have created close to 9 million new jobs in the U.S. alone.
Before we look to the future, let’s first take a look at where AI is already being used. You’ve probably already experienced interaction with AI through online chatbots or virtual assistants. If you’ve tried to report anything about a product you’ve purchased on Amazon, then you’ve definitely experienced working with AI. However, chatbots are only the most basic form of AI being used in the workforce, and basic AI like chatbots and virtual assistants are everywhere today.
“Agribots” are appearing in fields around the world, taking care of the tedious and time-consuming job of weeding thanks to AI. Video surveillance and security is being improved, allowing security staff the freedom to focus their attention on other essential preventative tasks without having to constantly scan a wall of monitors all at once. The supply chain is also being positively impacted by the use of artificial intelligence. Rather than humans being solely responsible for inventory issues, AI gives businesses a competitive advantage by tracking far more inventory than human beings can while tracking far more inventory all at the same time. That same AI solves future supply chain issues by helping to make predictions about inventory issues or delays.
Those are only a few of the ways AI has already been plugging away alongside the current workforce. But what about the future? Experts predict that the primary shift to watch for is the elimination of work that requires repetition or basic problem-solving tasks. That means that manufacturing sectors will greatly benefit from the technological benefits AI offers, while financial institutions will have an easier time identifying fraudulent activity and accurately reporting credit scores.
Another important change will revolve around how different professions use AI as an aid in their work. Rather than replacing certain jobs, human innovation will simply improve our ability to do our jobs. For example, physicians will have the chance to use AI as a tool for diagnosing illness and disease, with doctors having the chance to consider the advancement in technology as a valuable member of their healthcare team. We will still need medical professionals, but they will be able to provide us with better care because of the AI improved technology.
Human resource professionals will also see their work continue to change as AI changes the hiring process for many industries. HR professionals and administrators simply don’t have the time to weed through millions of profiles in the new global economy. However, with the help of AI, organizations are finding faster, more direct routes for narrowing down the list of candidates for open positions.
These are only a few of the industries that will find helpful improvements during this AI revolution. Accenture Research reports that “At least 61% of business leaders agree that the intersection of human and machine collaboration is going to help them achieve their strategic priorities faster and more efficiently.”
Future-proof Skills
What does that mean for workers? Human beings will have the opportunity to develop different skills that don’t require the repetitive work that’s better done by a machine. Creativity, complex problem-solving, and human empathy will still be the skills that every worker needs to cultivate to stand out from artificial intelligence.
AI can only produce what human beings tell it to produce, and it can only create based on what human beings have already created. That means that as AI removes time-consuming tasks, people will have more opportunity to innovate, create, and help each other through human connection.
According to Indeed, plenty of careers that will see a boom because of AI, include the following:
- • Machine learning engineers
- • Data scientists
- • Computer vision engineers
- • Algorithm engineers
- • Computer scientists
- • Research engineers
- • Analytics directors
- • Data engineers
Plenty of opportunities to jump into these roles will arise in the coming decades, along with other technological career pathways.
One way to prepare for the future of work is to sign up for a career certificate program like those offered by Washington Technical Institute. We offer a variety of certificate programs that can prepare you for the AI revolution happening today. From Full Stack Development to Database Management, we offer tech programs to expand your knowledge and prepare you for the future.
Washington Technical Institute
Washington Technical Institute’s fully online certificates can be completed in a matter of months, with daily or bi-weekly start dates. Such flexible start dates make these programs unique and much more accessible for our students. Most of our certificates can be earned as a self-paced program, meaning that you can work at your own pace to complete your work, even finishing early if you have the time and motivation to do so. An additional benefit of WTI’s programs is that we offer affordable pricing and monthly payments to help our students leave school without debt.
Although our goal is to help our students graduate their programs with little to no debt, we also recognize that some students might need to utilize a loan for their educational investment. We are excited to announce our partnerships with Meritize Financial Assistance, Climb Credit, or Ascent, student lending companies focused on financing career-building programs.
If you’re ready to enroll and start working on a plan for the personal and professional benefit of professional development, you can register for your program online through our website. Still have questions about our programs? Feel free to call us at 800-371-5581 or text us at 952-465-3702 to speak with an admissions specialist.
