Could Your Job Be Replaced By AI? Here’s How to Future-Proof It

Artificial intelligence (AI) and other forms of advanced technology are beginning to become sophisticated enough to automate and/or replace multiple jobs—and some entire career fields. One Oxford study estimated that nearly half of all jobs in the United States are at high risk of automation within the next few decades, including some roles previously thought to be impossible to automate.

If you value the longevity of your career, it’s important to start thinking about its susceptibility to automation—and preparing, so you can’t be easily replaced by a machine or algorithm.

Susceptibility to Automation

Let’s start by discussing the factors that make a job susceptible to automation. According to one study, the most susceptible jobs were ones that involve repetitive and/or predictable tasks, like the positions of data entry keyers, library technicians, new accounts clerks, tax preparers, insurance underwriters, and telemarketers. By contrast, the jobs least susceptible to automation included recreational therapists, audiologists, emergency management directors, and healthcare social workers.

The more complex the job is—that is, the more variables that need to be considered—the less likely it is to be automated. AI is very good at getting things done, but it’s not so good at creative thinking or abstract problem-solving. It’s also not good at reading human emotions, or interacting with people in an emotionally fulfilling way (at least not yet). Accordingly, jobs that require high-level strategic thinking, abstract reasoning, unpredictable variables, or human interaction are unlikely to be automated anytime soon.

How to Future-Proof Your Career

Knowing that, what steps can you take to future-proof your career?

• Master the art of project management. Project management is a field that can’t possibly be automated in the near future. Determining priorities, setting goals, coordinating team members, and allocating resources are all tasks that require a great deal of high-level thinking—which algorithms won’t be able to accomplish by themselves. Learning project management fundamentals by getting project management professional (PMP) certified can ensure you have a viable upward trajectory in your current field, and give you management credentials you can use to stay relevant in almost any area.

• Learn to work with tech. Even the jobs most susceptible to automation are unlikely to be replaced by a machine or algorithm. Instead, AI will likely be used to enhance a job, making it easier by automating only certain tasks. If you learn how to work with technology, embracing these changes, you’ll remain relevant for far longer. Pay close attention to the new tech coming to your industry, and do your best to embrace it.

• Learn to develop tech. Though less accessible to the average worker, you can also practically guarantee your security by developing tech-related skills, like learning how to create deep learning algorithms or advance AI in other ways. It’s a strong case of “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” If technology is the way of the future, then involving yourself in the development of that technology will ensure your relevance for years to come. There are real downsides to this approach, of course. It takes many years to become a machine learning engineer, and even then, not everyone is cut out to be one. Plus, you’ll be practically required to make a hard career turn—which might mean giving up something you’re currently passionate about.

• Develop more people skills (and start using them). You can also future-proof your job by developing your people skills, and incorporating more responsibilities based on human interaction. Jobs that require an emotional connection, or ones where human conversation is a fundamental component, are unlikely to be suitably replaced by an algorithm or machine. Even if a machine could become a healthcare worker or therapist (which may be possible), some people will still prefer the “old fashioned” way.

• Hedge your bets. If you’re especially nervous about losing your job to automation, you could also guarantee your security by hedging your career bets—in other words, pursuing multiple different careers or picking up multiple side gigs and streams of income. The idea here is that even if your main job is replaced, you’ll have a backup (or two) to pursue while you pick up the pieces. Try to diversify your potential career fields, and choose something much different than your current area of expertise.

It’s hard to guess which jobs will and won’t be affected by automation in the coming years, but it’s unlikely that automation will stop developing. If you value the future of your career, it’s time to start thinking about the longevity of your required skills, and how your industry could change with access to new and better technology. The sooner you start making adjustments to your career trajectory, the better protected you’ll be.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes.