If the headlines are to be believed, robots are coming for your job. Or are they?
If the media hype is to be believed, the robots may well be coming for your job. In fact, late last year, McKinsey research showed that up to 800 million workers worldwide may lose their jobs to artificial intelligence (AI) by 2030, while half of contemporary work functions could be automated by 2055.
Just how much of a threat is computer learning – as AI is sometimes called? What sort of jobs may be replaced by robots? And can we learn to coexist?
Ryan Falkenberg, co-CEO of CLEVVA, points out that Elon Musk, Uber and Airbnb are transforming entire industries with AI, while established technology giants such as Microsoft, Apple and Google are investing billions into AI-powered features and startups to ensure they maintain their dominant market positions.
Yet, this issue goes beyond tech, into the world of human resources and recruitment. As Auguste Coetzer, a director with head-hunting company Signium Africa, points out, science fiction is fast becoming reality in manufacturing and service industries in the developed world.