AI Jobs: How Artificial Intelligence Will Create More Work in the IT World
Posted by Walid Abou-Halloun Date: May 6, 2018 7:00:52 AM
Doomsday warnings say robots will take our jobs. In reality, the IT industry is in for a jobs boom! Read on to learn more about the bright future for AI jobs in IT.
What is AI?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the technical term for robots.
As AI presence grows in our world, jobs will be lost. From driverless taxis to automated check-outs, there is more evidence every day in the employment world about AI jobs.
The positive side of it is that there will be a tipping point after which AI will add more jobs than it takes away—especially if you work in IT.
Let’s break it down.
AI Jobs: Who Will Miss Out?
As the use of AI increases, there will be, undoubtedly, people who lose their jobs as a result. Weirdly enough, people have been afraid of this since the early 19th century.
Back then, the fear was that weaving machines would rob the world of employment. People are still fearful of AI replacing them at their job, but for some sectors, the reality is now rapidly approaching.
As with any change, there will be winners and losers, and opportunities for those savvy enough to find them. Manufacturing is likely to see big job losses—on the factory floor, at least.
Robots can do manufacturing jobs quicker and cheaper. Automation means the potential to produce around the clock, without paying overtime or holiday entitlements, so for manufacturers, it’s a no-brainer. This is especially true in developed countries like Australia, where labor costs are higher.
Industries First In-Line For AI Shifts
Trucking is another large employer likely to see big changes. If AI can get driverless tech to a point the public feel confident allowing to move semi-trailers from Melbourne to Brisbane and back, that is.
Semi-trailers are one of the most common elements of road accidents. If techies find the way to safely remove the human element, they are dropping supply chain costs significantly and reducing the human error (apart from the fact the robot itself stems from humans).
Other logistics areas are at risk of losing jobs. AI can track routes in real-time to avoid traffic and ensure goods move through the supply chain quickly. For shipping and logistics, that means a net loss to AI jobs, at least initially.
Newer Uses for AI
As AI gets more complex, the range of jobs it can replace grows. A surprising area of risk to AI jobs is sales. Lead generation through the profiling of potential customers is something robots are perfect for. Leads are improving along with the complexity of these technologies.
Customer service is a sector seeing some risk. Chatbots can mimic human communication, and even learn. Automated customer service gives businesses the opportunity to have queries answered at any time of day or night, which is a huge plus for business.
Accounting and legal industries also have positions that can be replaced by AI. Intelligent robots can do the grunt work traditionally carried out by paralegals and trainee accountants. The first AI attorney, Ross, can find relevant legal solutions to a given problem, and monitor how new decisions might alter the client’s case!
The AI Jobs News is Positive—We Swear!
You’re a bit scared now, right? It’s okay. That isn’t the whole story.
Studies show that over 140 years, technology created more employment than it replaced. Researchers went as far to say that technology is a ‘great job-creating machine’.
Why? Well, technology builds wealth, and wealth builds jobs. That’s why bar staff jobs increased four times over since 1950, and why hairdresser jobs also increased.
It seems that doomsday job-loss reports sell more papers than the reality. Yes, work in agriculture decreased. However, opportunities in care industries, creative industries, business, and technology markets more than replaced it. That’s called ‘labor switching’.
Historical Cases of Labor Switching
With the rise of technologies, the world saw decreases in work for hand-washers of clothing, typists, weavers, knitters, and company secretaries. The world saw demand for teaching assistants, welfare workers, home carers and medical professionals grow in their place.
As income rises, consumers seek out personal services. That means more jobs in the service sector.
The strength of AI is in repetitive labor, or for tasks that are difficult, or boring (or all three!). There is always work needing human skill and creativity.
AI is the Future for Jobs in IT
Experts expect to see a net gain in AI jobs by 2020. That means robots and AI will create more jobs than they replace.
Rather than replace work, AI will change the nature of work.
The idea will be to create robots that augment humans in the workplace, not replace them. Someone will need to program, analyse, repair, redirect, and report on the activity of all this artificial intelligence.
Technical-savvy workers—the IT sector—will have to ensure the robots we use help to make humans more efficient, quicker, and increasingly productive.
Where Will the Job Growth Be?
In this next wave of technology-driven job market change, there will be ample opportunities for psychologists, linguists, neuroscientists and alike, to create computer intelligence and machine learning.
But they’ll be employed by the IT sector, specifically AI programmers.
While there was fanfare about the first robot to win against a human at chess, we need to keep our cool. There are still clear limits to machine learning. That robot can’t play solitaire or poker, or drive your Uber home; it would need a whole other series of software for that.
It is likely that software will continue to speed up administrative tasks. It is unlikely AI can ever replace human judgment or the nuances of human communication skills.
The takeaway message, is that with AI comes great opportunity. To make sure you are on the winning side of the AI coin toss, here are the jobs of the future that you need to be in:
- Computer Vision Engineers – designing and implementing the algorithms for manufacturers of electronics and automotive vehicles to improve the way consumers use and interact with technology
- Research & Development Engineers – researching and designing speech recognition or other communication or mobility software for companies
- Business Intelligence Developers – designing the digital architecture that will analyse and make predictions from the torrent of data companies are now collecting
- Researchers – creating and programming prototypes of applied machine learning and other advanced AI technologies
- Engineers, Machine Learning – designing and testing software for robots that can learn, or improve, through experience
- Data Scientists – analysing, planning and modeling internet search data to make predictions and business decisions for companies
Lower-tech IT Jobs Also Booming
Companies are scrambling to come out with the most advanced AI technologies for their businesses. This means a lot of research jobs, and all of them are linked to computer technologies and communication technologies.
If IT research is not your area of interest, there will still be ample opportunities in the workplace of the not-too-distant future in more traditional IT roles. After all, someone needs to quote on IT systems, install software, repair bugs, and all the rest.
Some more traditional industries are increasing their use of technology. Less advanced than the sort of tech we often think of when we talk AI, it will still be a jobs boom.
Some examples:
- As hospitals increase their use of telemedicine for rural and remote patients, they will need technicians and IT project managers.
- eGovernment sees services offered in digital form to citizens, creating data security risks and data analysis opportunities for IT entrepreneurs.
- Restaurants, bars, and hotels love offering tablet ordering systems to waiters or customers, and these electronic ordering systems will need systems engineers to install, customise, and replace them over time.
- Financial services have company and
client information security
risks with increasingly digital banking systems. These will need in-house
and/or contracted IT specialists to support, safeguard, advise, and
fix.
Take Me to the IT AI Jobs Boom
Once the size of the coming AI jobs boom becomes clear, you’ll be asking yourself how you can get a slice of the pie. We have some advice on that front.
1. Network
Link into your university alumni, head to industry events, find a local meet-up. This is where you can hear about job opportunities and get your name at the front of the queue.
The other value of networking is asking your peers how they got their jobs; use it as a mentoring opportunity. Find who is making what you want to earn, doing what you want to do, and ask the questions about how you can set yourself up similarly.
2. Online Courses
There are a lot of online courses that are free or cheap. You can use them as a way to up-skill in a rapidly changing jobs market, at a low monetary cost. Online study gives you the flexibility to maintain your work, family, and social life, making the study fit around you.
3. Research
Subscribing to a quality industry news source is a fantastic way to be informed of trends and opportunities. As you spot the trends in your skill area, you can cold-call companies, or pick your online courses accordingly.
The Golden Ticket to the AI Jobs Boom: IT Recruitment Specialists
If you know you’ve already got the skills and experience to be a resource to the IT industry in the AI jobs boom, let us tell you the quickest way in.
Get in contact with a quality recruitment service. The right service will have the industry know-how to appreciate what you offer, and the IT industry contacts to get you the job you want in this innovative industry.
To make the best career move yet, get in contact with Divy about AI jobs today!
