How Technology Is Replacing Humans


Success Quarterly is a tech and business blog that focuses on the intersection of Silicon Valley and Hollywood, including technology, business, mobile, entertainment, media, and related topics.
As we continue to become more connected through technology, our reliance on it is only increasing. Devices such as smartphones have made us almost completely dependent on them for everyday tasks like finding food, keeping in touch with loved ones, and getting around!
In fact, according to an article published this past June by Harvard Business School, over half of all jobs will be replaced by automation within the next 10 years. The article titled “The Future Of Work” suggests that 47% of employment opportunities will not exist in 15-20 years due to automated or computerized technologies.
This sounds very scary, but there are some ways you can prepare yourself for these changes. While technological advancements will eliminate certain positions, new roles will emerge to take their place. More than likely, your current job position will be absorbed into another area. For example, engineers developing autonomous cars will find themselves working as logistics experts organizing shipping containers.
Overall, staying well prepared is the best way to handle the ever changing landscape of career opportunities. By being aware of what areas of work remain popular and which are disappearing, you can begin preparing yourself now. This will give you time to reorient yourself if tech shifts again so that you don’t suffer unemployment.
Here are five easy things you can do to stay employable in the era of robots.
Self-driving cars
While some people may be nervous about the idea of riding in a car that can drive itself, autonomous vehicles are becoming more prevalent every day. Uber has had its share of scandals but they’ve also made big headlines for investing in self-driving technology. The company recently announced their plans to launch a commercial self-driving ride service in Pittsburgh later this year!
Self-driving cars have been predicted since at least 1994 when British entrepreneur Elon Musk called them “the future.” Since then, self-driving cars have gathered steam as companies invest heavily in the technology.
Many believe that self-driving cars will one day replace human drivers. Some even go so far as to say we’re already living in the age of driverless cars and it makes sense to prepare for it by leaving work, education, shopping, and running errands during off hours.
Online shopping
Over the past few years, online shopping has become the new normal. Gone are the days when people would exclusively head out to stores and look for products or services that can be found inside of them!
It is impossible to argue against the fact that it is very easy to shop online now. With the availability of almost every product under the sun in one place, doing your own personal research is no longer needed.
Most major retailers offer their own merchandise website where you can search through their inventory and purchase what you want directly from there. This eliminates the need to go into a store and try to find the item, if they have it in-store. It also gives you more information about the item as well as how much stock they have left.
For example, I recently wanted an ergonomic chair so I did some research before buying my Lavelle Ergo Mesh Back Office Chair. I was able to compare price, quality, and customer reviews between various sellers before deciding on who to trust with my money.
Online classes
One of the greatest shifts we have seen in the workplace is the decline in use of, and reliance on, humans for knowledge. As technology has become more prevalent in our daily lives, it has increasingly taken over tasks that require human interaction or skills. With every passing day, employers are creating an environment where there is a high demand for individuals with computer science expertise.
Online education is one of the biggest tools used to fulfill this need. Through online courses, students can learn all types of software programs, frameworks, and languages without having to go anywhere other than their own home. Students also do not have to worry about transportation as they can simply log onto a device and learn from wherever they have wifi.
Overall, using technology to gain knowledge has simplified things for both students and professionals. It has made learning much faster and easier.
Online jobs
Over the past few years, technology has completely changed how we work. Gone are the days when you needed to be in an office to get a job done. With every tool at your disposal through online services and software, you can accomplish anything from anywhere!
Online employment is becoming increasingly popular as employers find it more efficient than having employees come into the office. It’s cost effective, easy to run, and doesn’t require too much investment or setup time.
The number of positions requiring only computer use is growing rapidly. According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately one-quarter of all workers were digitally connected to the workplace network in 2012. By 2020 that proportion will have doubled to half. And while some occupations may still need people for face-to-face interactions, most don’t.
In fact, according to a Harvard Business School study, nearly three out of five low wage service sector jobs could be replaced by automated software within twenty years. That includes positions such as accounting, customer service, and even nursing.
Given this trend, what career options are left for those who aren’t tech savvy?
It’s a difficult question to answer because there are always new technologies coming along that people seem to want to implement into their daily lives. However, just like with any other skill, if you're willing to put in the effort to learn them, then you can make money using them.
Online games
As we already mentioned, technology is changing how employment works. Jobs that are not in the service or knowledge of a specific product can be replaced by an online game or app!
Companies are creating software and apps to replace human workers. These technologies do everything from taking over and managing employees’ time to performing menial tasks for you.
Online gaming companies have been replacing manual labour for years. Companies produce software and systems that other people then use to play computer games.
These games are usually very advanced, requiring lots of skills to use them effectively. Games like these earn their name through automation – the software does all the work for you!
Software engineers create algorithms that perform logical thinking, mathematical calculations and repetitive tasks. All this is done automatically without any need for a person to control it.
Apps and programs designed to test products or services often take over the job of testing thoroughly. They find flaws and weaknesses in designs and materials and report back what they found.
Other apps and programs check if things are correct as per specifications and guidelines. Technological innovations make this possible, so humans don’t necessarily need to worry about such things.
Overall, technological advancements mean that fewer and fewer jobs require direct interaction with other people or resources.
Online dating
Over the past few years, there have been many ways to connect with other people online. With the rise of the internet and social media, it has become easy to create an account at a popular website that allows you to chat with or meet new people.
Online dating is a very common way to find your romantic partner now. It’s not practical in the old sense — instead of going out to bars or restaurants, you can just stay home and look through various sites for potential matches.
There are several types of online matching systems, like matchmaking apps that use algorithms to determine possible relationships, but most focus more heavily on looks than personality. For example, if two people share the same favorite movie, then they would probably be matched with each other.
With all this emphasis on appearance, it can sometimes feel like using these sites is as effective as taking up yoga because of the shape of your feet.
Email marketing
Over time, as technology evolved, so did our need to communicate. As we grew wealthier, we got faster communication tools that allowed us to stay in touch even when we were not physically together.
Email is one of the most ubiquitous forms of communication today. It’s easy to use, cost-effective and doesn’t require anyone else's permission (you can send an email at any time).
That makes it a great way to market products or services! Businesses have been using email for years now to promote their products and gather customer information.
As more and more people start receiving emails from marketers, your business will get less attention unless you find ways to differentiate yourself from the rest.
What brands are doing right
Brands are incorporating technology into their marketing strategies to gain an edge over competitors. They're creating accounts on social media sites, adding chat apps to messenger platforms, and developing online shopping experiences that don't involve leaving the house.
All of these behaviors are replacing actions that humans used to do to communcate with each other. By removing those barriers to contact, they're paving the way for more interactions.
Some studies suggest that having more contacts leads to happier lives. In fact, according to a Harvard University study, having frequent contacts reduces mortality risk by 20%.
Phone calls
Over the past few years, phone call centers have been getting increasingly automated. Companies are replacing live chat apps with artificial intelligence (AI) systems that do not require human interaction. These systems will consistently put in the effort to hone your questions and determine what information you need before passing along the message or task for which you were called.
Phone calls were once the main way of communication, but now they’re being replaced by faster messaging applications and voice AI services. Online forums and communities have also become less needed as people use social media to ask for help and share tips.
By automating some parts of the calling process, companies can save money while providing similar quality service. This is especially true since most of these services are paid per use, not per employee. Some even offer free trial periods so you can see how well it works for you before investing in a full package.
There are many types of AIs used for different purposes, making it hard to tell what changes start up conversations and what ones end them.