Future of jobs to be decided by the AI and the children of today

The world of work will likely look very different by the time the current generation of kids finishes Year 12.

Experts in careers and education have predicted that advances in technology, especially artificial intelligence* (AI), will transform the way humans work in the future.

Education futurist* and school consultant Tony Ryan said artificial intelligence will transform the future workforce across every industry, making some jobs obsolete* while creating others.

While some jobs could be replaced by robots, others will still need a human touch. Mr Ryan said jobs requiring “empathy* and connection,” such as teaching, social work* and nursing, would continue to be needed in the future.

“We need to be careful that we don’t get so obsessed with the technology that we allow it to take our humanity*,” he said.

The University of South Australia’s Professor of Engineering Innovation David Cropley said advancing technology would shape the careers of today’s kids as AI products continued to evolve.

“However, I don’t think these will simply replace humans in the world of work. Rather, I see them as augmenting* human specialists,” Professor Cropley said.

“For example, with medical diagnosis, doctors will consult with their AI assistant to confirm … what is visible on an X-ray. The AI provides an input* but does not replace the human in the loop. This is because something like a medical consultation still begins and ends with a human interaction.”

He predicted that some blue-collar jobs, such as shearing a sheep, would still need a human to perform them.

“The automation and AI, as capable as it might be, is still really just a very fancy tool,” Professor Cropley said. “Hammers and saws didn’t displace* carpenters, they just made the job of carpentry easier and more efficient for the human.”

Critical and creative thinkers with skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics would also be in high demand by 2038, he said.

MEET SOME WORKERS OF THE FUTURE
Five-year-old Aaliyah Sciamanna said she would like to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a teacher.

Luckily for Aaliyah, expert futurists have predicted teachers will be in demand once she finishes her 13 years of schooling in the year 2038.

Chloe Cardoso would like to follow in her mechanic dad’s footsteps and already sports a miniature uniform to wear during visits to his Ashbury garage.

Meanwhile, budding scientist Luca Ranieri has started Kindergarten at St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School in Croydon Park with a passion for experiments, while five-year-old Jonathan Gurung has joined St Ambrose Catholic Primary School in Concord West with dreams of becoming an engineer.

Luca’s parents are both teachers, and dad Jason believes his son’s sense of wonder and amazement is “going to take him far in life”, whatever path he chooses.

“We don’t know what’s going to be out there by the time he finishes school, so I hope he has the skills to choose and be whatever he wants to be,” he said.

Jonathan’s mum Kaitlyn Zhang has built a home lab for her son to “practice his creative ideas”, eager to support him to become a “curious, resilient* and empathetic person” as he grows up.

“As I always tell him, this world never lacks smart people, but it desperately needs those who use their abilities to make a positive impact – I hope he will be one of them,” she said.

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GLOSSARY

• artificial intelligence (AI): technology that enables machines to make decisions and problem solve based on the simulation of human learning
• futurist: someone who studies the future and makes predictions about what it might be like
• obsolete: no longer in existence
• empathy: being able to understand the feelings of other people
• social work: workers that aim to empower or help others that are socially disadvantaged or who have personal problems
• humanity: what it means to be human
• augmenting: to make something better or greater by adding to it
• input: offering of information
• displace: put them out of jobs
• resilient: strong and able to handle change

EXTRA READING
Students called on to become teachers of the future
What fascinating job will Future You do?
Play influences kids’ career choices

QUICK QUIZ
1. What type of technology is likely to change the world of work in the future?
2. Which jobs are likely to be unaffected by AI because of their need for a “human touch”?
3. What year will this year’s Kindergarten students finish their schooling?
4. How might AI be used by doctors in the future?
5. Which blue-collar job still can’t be done by a robot?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. What don’t you want to do when you grow up?
What is one job that you definitely would never want to do when you grow up? Think about the worst job you could imagine. Write very convincing paragraphs explaining why this job is the one that you would never, ever want to do!

Time: allow at least 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English

2. Extension
Do you know how Artificial Intelligence actually works? Use your research skills to find out. Use the information that you have found to create a diagram that will help a younger kid who is worried about AI taking over all jobs in the future. Your purpose is to help them understand what Professor Cropley is saying about AI in the story.

Time: allow at least 60 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Digital Technologies

VCOP ACTIVITY
Vocabulary recycle
There is some vivid vocabulary being used in the article, and I am not just talking about the glossary words. Go through the article and highlight the high-level language that you are impressed by in yellow.

See if you can borrow two of these wow words to reuse in your own way.

Remember vocabulary is a great way to connect with the audience, but you need to think about who your audience is so you make great word choices.

Who will the audience be in your recycled sentences?