10 reasons why nobody is going to be out of a job in the digital world

10 reasons why nobody is going to be out of a job in the digital world

There’s a lot of chat about the dangers to employment being driven by technology — with both blue and white collar work being threatened, according to a report from the University of Oxford.

But how much of this is future hype, and how much short-term reality? Here’s 10 reasons why nobody should worry about whether they will have something to do in the years to come:

Because decisions are more than insights. We may be able to get a great deal of information from analytics, but there will often be the extra level of judgement that only a human can bring. This is as true in healthcare and politics, as in customer service and situation response.

Because we have hair, nails and teeth. All of which require cutting, grooming and generally maintaining. The amount of time people spend having themselves looked after is as much in proportion to their wish to be looked after, as any hygiene factor.

Because we ascribe value to human interaction and care. In hospitals or day care centres, schools or gyms, or indeed, in taxis and public services, nobody, young or old, wants to be cared for by a robot. Nor will they ever.

Because we love craft. Robots have been part of assembly plants for many years now, and will continue to be. But we still love hand-crafted stuff. It may be possible to 3D-print a statue, but the merit of having something hand-made will sustain.

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