Soon, Real Life Will Look Like a Sci-Fi Movie.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the new kid on the block, and it’s dominating conversations worldwide. Our feelings toward AI range from fear and intrigue to hope and horror, but there’s a shared interest in its capabilities and potential impact on our lives. This fascination is warranted, as AI is unlike any technology we’ve seen before.

It is evolving rapidly, gaining strength, scope, and scale while breaking down traditional work silos. This shift promises (or ‘threatens,’ depending on your perspective) to completely transform our conventional ways of operating.

According to many AI experts, one of the first areas to experience this transformation will be the job market. Over the next three years, AI is expected to significantly transform many professions. Below is a list of 14 jobs that may be affected.

1. Real Estate Agents: The real estate profession is undergoing rapid digitization. AI is streamlining property search and providing accurate estimates based on millions of data points. It even offers virtual visits, significantly reducing the need for physical showings. As a result, agents will need to focus on skills that machines cannot replicate, such as complex negotiation and providing empathetic guidance to buyers.

2. Bank Tellers: The role of bank tellers has already been diminishing. Increasingly, we rely on machines for banking tasks, from ATMs to online and telephone banking, even allowing cheque deposits to be processed via smartphones. The remaining human roles in banking may disappear soon.

3. Assembly Workers: The involvement of humans in machine assembly has been decreasing, as AI-powered robots become increasingly accurate in handling repetitive tasks. This trend will likely lead to more advanced AI programs taking over the assembly process, relegating human workers to supervisory roles.

4. Logistics Order Pickers: The impact of AI in logistics is already evident in warehouses. Robots are actively engaged in order picking. Enhanced by AI, these robots sort and move goods with unparalleled speed and precision, making it more efficient to rely on machines for physical handling.

5. IT Support: Soon, most of our minor technical issues will be resolved online by guides or conversational agents. Powered by AI, these virtual assistants will diagnose common problems in our devices and appliances and provide clear, easy-to-understand solutions.

6. Content Writers: Although it may go unnoticed, AI is already handling much of the content creation work. It can write long-form articles, compile corporate reports, and generate online content tailored to specific requirements.

7. Quality Control Inspectors: In busy industrial settings, robots equipped with AI and sensors can perform fixed, repetitive tasks on production lines with exceptional efficiency and accuracy. Humans cannot compete with the consistent detection of microscopic defects.

8. Postal Sorting Agents: Automated postal sorting systems, featuring smart cameras and AI, sort millions of parcels and letters daily. The speed and accuracy achieved by these systems far exceed human capacity, enabling widespread automation at sorting stations.

9. Data Entry Operators: Data entry, a typically repetitive and tedious task, is being revolutionized by AI. With advanced character recognition and information processing capabilities, AI software operates at lightning speed, significantly reducing data entry errors.

10. Teleoperators: Conversational agents and voice assistants, such as Alexa and Siri, are becoming increasingly proficient at delivering standardized responses to inquiries. As AI technology improves, it will assume an ever-larger share of simple interactions.

11. Switchboard operators and receptionists: AI is increasingly capable of managing many repetitive administrative tasks that secretaries and receptionists traditionally handled. Automated diary management systems, dialogue agents for telephone reception, and intelligent filing software are already in use, and these technologies are expected to reduce the need for human workers in these roles significantly.

12. Cashiers and cashier hosts: This trend is not surprising, as many of us have observed grocery stores, pharmacies, and other large retailers in Canada experimenting with automated checkout systems. Automatic cash registers and contactless payment systems are becoming standard in many businesses. With advancements in AI, these machines will soon be able to scan items and process payments without human involvement.

13. Long-haul truck drivers: Autonomous trucks are no longer a concept confined to science fiction; they are currently undergoing advanced testing and have the potential to revolutionize logistics. AI can manage driving, optimize routes, and even monitor fuel consumption. While it may take time for widespread adoption, the replacement of human drivers by AI is expected to begin on long-haul routes.

14. Language translators: Automatic translation tools have been transformative. For technical documents and factual texts, AI can translate large volumes of content with impressive accuracy and at a speed far exceeding human capability. However, literary translation, which requires an understanding of cultural nuances, will remain a task best suited to human translators.

What’s the solution for humans who have been the face of these jobs for centuries? Two words: Adaptation and upskilling will be the key to staying relevant and finding one’s own niche in a vastly changed job market!

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