I read the local paper and the articles lauding the upgrades to the local mall and the good news of an auto plant expansion. While the new is better than closing a mall and a plant, I wished there would be newer innovative business news. Malls are expected to suffer a 34% reduction in the next few years due to the rising internet sales. Auto plants are becoming more automated and forecast a 14% decline in employment. If that is not bad enough, robotics and artificial intelligence are already replacing the need for warehouse workers (as I forecast in 1980’s). Robot retrieval allows narrower and higher aisles as well as improved accuracy and less risk of shrinkage or occupational injury . Other occupations being looked at:
- Accountants – Revenue and expenditures can be automatically attributed to accounts and financial statements. Modest inventory control programs already can charge parts to work orders and work orders to accounts. More sophisticated programs can control “shrinkage” by verifying part is on the bill of materials for the asset and identify excessive use/replacement.
- Construction workers we already have printers that “print” a concrete building with rebar, plumbing, etc.
- Doctors – Back in the 70’s my linear algebra instructor was working on a computer model that would improve diagnosis of an ailment/disease more accurately than a physician. However, political pressure from the medical community canned the funding,
- Waiters & waitresses – already they are using robots in Japan to fill these functions,
- Commercial drivers and truckers beware of self-driving vehicles on the horizon. The news is populated by stories of drones delivering packages to the doorstep. Bet they don’t throw it from the front sidewalk as we see daily on the tube.
These are just a few. If you think your occupation is safe, bet I or someone else an figure how a machine with artificial intelligence can replace you.
What scares me is what do I tell my grandson. What field should he go into?
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