Controlling fleets of drones, purging people’s mistakes from social media and helping them be comfortable in their own skin no matter their size will all one day be rewarding and fulfilling careers.
At least, that’s what many people believe, as the jobs market of the future responds to the technology and automation which are increasing their hold on our lives.
A study of the type of jobs people expect to see take over workplaces during the next 30 years has revealed that the majority of Scots believe their current roles will one day be done by robots or computers.
The survey of 2,000 working people found that 55 per cent are worried their job will disappear by 2050, while onequarter think the human element will be removed as roles become automated.
In Aberdeen, this rises to 41%, although those in Glasgow (23.5%) and Edinburgh (17.6%) are less concerned about automation.
However, 70.6% of professionals in the capital think their job won’t be around in 30 years.
But as old ways of working fall into the past, people expect that new roles will come to the fore – in outer space, working with robots, helping people stay healthy and enhancing their social media presence.
Chief among these is the role of drone traffic controller. With more companies using drones for everything from deliveries to surveillance, it is believed people will be needed to ensure the skies stay accident-free and that air travel can continue.
Companies’ increasing reliance on technology will also see the creation of posts for advisors making sure advances are carried out ethically, such as advocating for the rights of artificial intelligences (AI) or reducing the impact new developments have on others’ lives.
With space tourism becoming a reality as commercial rockets and orbital vehicles become more common, those who took part in the study also said that the job of outer space tourist guide will become a career in the future.
Hi-tech jobs are expected to appear in ever greater numbers in newspapers’ “help wanted” sections, which will, of course, be solely online.
Roles likely to be created include that of the AI teacher, who will educate pupils about the wonders of thinking machines, Robot Liaison Officers, who will be responsible for helping robots and intelligent computers learn and evolve, and holographic avatar designers, who will create facsimiles of real people which can be projected anywhere in the globe through the world wide web.
People also believe the online world will heavily influence the future job landscape, particularly the social media sphere.
New posts could include social media purgers, who can remove traces of people’s bad behaviour from the internet and cover up embarrassing posts which could land them in hot water, digital detox therapists, who can curb people’s addiction to their online life, influencer lecturers, who teach people how to profit from their digital profile, and meme experts, who specialise in creating viral content for companies.
Other future jobs people expect to see become reality one day include brain implant technicians, plastic erosion specialists and extinct species revivalists who can clone animals which have been wiped out by climate change.
- READ MORE: Incident unit to be set up for drone sector
Lee Biggins, founder and chief executive of jobs website CV-Library, who commissioned the study, said: “The job market is continuing to evolve and new technologies are bringing new opportunities for Scottish professionals.
“Naturally, this might be met with hostility, particularly if you feel that your job is being threatened by automation.
“Of course, this is by no means an extensive list and some of these job titles might seem a little far-fetched right now. “However, it’s important to understand where our future jobs might be heading.”
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