Man vs. machine: A battle of speed, precision & creativity

Written and accurate as at: 7 March 2018

We often spend a great deal of time (and money) acquiring/maintaining the relevant expertise to allow us to work within a specific job – it’s this job that has and continues to allow us to provide for our family and plan ahead (e.g. pay down debt and save/invest for the future).

As society progresses, there will be technological advancements that lead to job loss or displacement (and creation!). As such, a growing concern is the impact computerisation/automation may have on some of us in the future. A recent paper* theorised that jobs requiring medium-high levels in one or a combination of the below areas may be less susceptible to computerisation/automation: perception and manipulation (e.g. finger/manual dexterity); creative intelligence (e.g. originality and fine arts); social intelligence (e.g. social perception/negotiation and assisting/caring for others).

*C. Frey & M. Osbourne. (2017). The future of employment: How susceptible are jobs to computerisation? Technol Forecast Soc Change, 114, pp254-280.