As an update on those ideas, our recent books The Future of Business, Beyond Genuine Stupidity – Ensuring AI Serves Humanity, and The Future Reinvented – Reimagining Life, Society, and Business we discuss a whole range of new industries and professions that might emerge as a result of these exponential advances. Presented below are a selection of 20 new jobs that we think could rise to the fore in the coming decade.
The exponential pace of advancement in science and technology is going to enable dramatic changes in society. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, autonomous vehicles, blockchain, human enhancement, and hyperconnectivity will help transform industries, enable the birth of new sectors, and lead to a whole new set of professions and jobs. These new professions could draw on multiple underlying disciplines. Here are some examples:
Lifestyle Services
1) Life Manager for the Techno- Bewildered – Those who struggle with technology and get left behind in the new world order might find themselves placed under the mentorship of new ago social workers. These Life Managers would supervise our every decision, guide us on how to navigate the day to day, and help ensure we use our finances or guaranteed basic incomes in a sustainable manner.
2) Robo-Nanny – Replacing the human nanny or au pair, future robotic child carers could become a constant companion to our children at every stage of their development. Every facet of their character could be selected and tweaked by parents – emotional intelligence, values, ethics, levels of optimism, and even how the bot responds to difficult situations such as the passing of a grandparent. The bot could also be programmed to introduce new learning topics, languages, and life skills as required.
3) Sexual Compatibility Consultant – The risk of choosing an inappropriate partner and then having the “wrong” child could see the rise of compatibility specialists. These experts would use AI algorithms to assess everything from IQ and EQ to genetic makeup and family medical history to try and ensure we find the right mating partner.
4) Longevity Relationship Counsellors – With humans expected to live 120 years plus and technology continuing to blur the line between robot and human, new types of marriage and relationship counsellors may emerge. These lifelong counsellors will help coach and guide individuals and their many partners across all stages and types of relationships, from traditional monogamy to polygamy and even human-robot or human-VR interminglings.
5) End of Life Planner / Death Strategist – As lifespans get extended for those who can afford it, deciding when to die becomes a difficult decision. Our choices will need to factor in emotional, healthcare, familial, economic, and tax planning criteria when making the decisions. This will give rise to a new death management profession – part GP, part financial advisor, part family therapist, and part grief councillor.
6) Urban Foraging Educators – In the coming decade and beyond, food scarcity may force more of the worlds’ people to forage for healthy food. In cities, where most of the population will be concentrated, urban foraging education may become a matter of survival. There may be a future demand for experts to train the public in identifying poisonous plants, edible weeds, and wild fruits or vegetables so that the population may survive future food shortages. Schools, governments, and private educational providers may seek to hire experts in urban foraging. Future foraging professionals could become as beloved (and marketable) as the celebrity chefs of today.
Enhancement Specialists
7) Memory Adaptation Specialists – A memory specialist may help us modify our memories and reduce mental health issues. People would be able to erase traumatic memories and replace them with positive ones. The process might be conducted by a specialist with training in psychotherapy and neuroscience. Modifying our memories could have a major impact on our personality. The memory specialist would help you choose the traumatic events you need to erase. The replacement procedure would be done after a series of introspective consultations. A wide catalogue of pleasant memories would be available for your selection. People would choose what they want to remember.
8) Human Enhancement Technician – As a society, we are starting to augment the human body with chemical, genetic, electronic, and physical enhancements. Body shops will appear on the high street where appropriately trained technicians will be able to perform these upgrades – administering nootropic drugs, genetic modifications, 3D printed limbs, and electronic brain stimulation.
9) Cryogenics Concierge – As more people opt for cryogenic preservation at – or close to – the end of their life, they will need specialist advice. The cryo concierge will provide guidance on different types of cryo procedures, costs, financial planning, the family’s rights and responsibilities, what happens when you are regenerated, insurance, and how to manage the death.
New Societal Roles
10) Independent Fact Checker – This role already exists to some extent but becomes ever more essential as concerns grow over the proliferation of fake news, companies exaggerate their marketing claims, and politicians argue about the veracity of each other’s statements. These arbiters of truth will use a swathe of AI systems to check the truth and origin of every claim and fact. Clients will pay them for these services and for a regularly updated assessment of how truthful and accurate their own statements are. Public honesty tables provided by the fact checkers will influence the reputations and fortunes of businesses, politicians, and political parties.
11) Crypto Detective – The spread of crypto currencies and initial coin offerings has led to high levels of fraud and concerns over the scale of crypto based shadow economy transactions. Specialist detectives backed up by AI will be required to unravel crime in the cryptosphere.
12) Robot Whisperers – Artificially intelligent robots may comprise a significant part of the future workforce in retail, food service and hospitality. Companies deploying such robots may require a staff of professional human Robot Whisperers to stand guard whenever the bots interact with the public. This job would involve behind-the-scenes monitoring of robotic chefs and customer service robots to make sure they don’t run over a person’s foot or knock over a gas grill or cause other such hazards. The Whisperer would also monitor for undesirable behvioral changes as the robots learn from and adapt to their environment. Although robotic employees could be highly efficient and autonomous, it is possible that unexpected stimuli in the environment could result in accidents or injuries. Robot Whisperers would be a profession geared toward instilling public trust in robot workers.
13) Inter-AI Conflict Resolution Specialist – AIs will increasingly need to collaborate. Our personal intelligent assistant may need to interact with the AIs of our bank, our employers, and all the vendors who serve us. Not all AIs will be born equal or have common goals, so disputes could arise. Human arbitrators may need to intervene to get the best outcome for humanity in these disputes.