October 13, 2016
It’s vital to understand the characteristics of jobs most at risk of being replaced by technology, and to prepare by developing and marketing skills that are difficult to digitize. The types of jobs most at risk for elimination by technology and artificial intelligence are those that are repetitive, sequential, and/or subject to a set of “if-then” rules. A great example of the battle between machine and man is the defeat of chess champion Garry Kasparov by IBM supercomputer Deep Blue.
Here’s a list of skills where humans will continue to have a competitive edge over machines.
Interpersonal Skills–Interpersonal communication, including the ability to demonstrate empathy and caring, are key differentiators between humans and robots. Humans, unlike robots, also have a sense of humor.
Creativity/Innovation–While there is no “formula” for creativity, it is a learnable skill for humans. A close cousin to creativity is serendipity or happy accidents. Perhaps the most famous business example of serendipity was the invention of Post-it® notes. If a robot was in charge when the Post-it® note was created, the original product would have been dismissed as a failure.
Judgment–Robots rely on specific inputs or conditions such as yes or no, on or off, or if x then y. However, only humans can assess variables for ethical decision-making such as the concept of should.
Collaboration–Since collaboration is not a linear, sequential, or rules-based process, it is not practical for machines. When colleagues or business partners meet, each one may come with a few ideas and questions in mind, but new ideas and questions will inevitably arise as a result of the group process or exchange of ideas.
Planning–Humans remain superior at planning in changing conditions with shifting and competing priorities and incomplete information. Robots, on the other hand, are limited in planning to predictable outcomes.
Conflict Resolution–Because conflicts involve emotion and even irrationality, humans can develop skills to navigate conflict that computers cannot be programmed to understand.
Negotiation–As with conflict resolution, emotions play a role in negotiation and parties do not always proceed rationally. Negotiations of even moderate complexity often require the ability to navigate emotions and ulterior motives. Since both are difficult to reduce to “if-then” rules, this is another skill that will be resistant to machine learning.
Interpretation–When there is a need to clarify questions, requests, or partial responses, humans are superior to machines. Anyone who has used voice text with Siri understands this point! Computers hear words; people hear meaning.
Adaptation–Humans, unlike robots, can change their minds, plans, thoughts, and actions in response to changing circumstances and new information.
While jobs which are repetitive or rules-based will increasingly be automated or mechanized, technical skills will not be sufficient alone. Future employment will require strong skills that demonstrate ability to captitalize on the one advantage humans will always retain over robots and smart machines: our humanity.