From the archive: my first post, 2017

This was the first article I ever wrote, at the start of 2017. I'd just become a dad and I was trying to work out what automation meant for all of us. I've left it as I wrote it, apart from a few typos.

2017 is going to be the year where I start to put myself out there a bit more. I've always wanted to start writing articles/posts about things so now is the time to start. I'm going to aim to write one post a month, about something/s that take my interest. It might be about work related stuff, or just something I find interesting. I'm no Shakespeare so bear with me…

I was reading an article or a post on LinkedIn towards the end of 2016 about AI and how it will, eventually, replace people in most working environments. There seemed to be a lot of recruiters commenting, it must have been a post by a recruiter, stating that a machine could never take over what they do. They all seemed in agreement that automation would and could happily take over some of the mundane tasks. I mean who wants to do all the admin elements that come with sales right? Saying that, how could a machine meet clients, understand requirements, understand the company's culture and understand what the organisation was looking for in a candidate. Initially, I thought to myself, well that makes sense, there still needs to be an element of human interaction surely?

What we're doing here though is falling into the trap that a lot of people might fall into or want to believe will be the case, there will always need to be an element of human interaction. Even I have fallen into this trap myself, but having spent some time to think about it in more detail and read a little more into it (caveat: I'm by far no expert on the matter) my thoughts are; why would we need human interaction? A lot of jobs will eventually disappear altogether, then only specialist jobs will be available and how would a company recruit for those roles? Most likely using some sort of AI platform to look for someone who has the skill set to perform said role. I think the way we search for jobs and the way employers look for people will change dramatically in the future, along with everything else. Don't worry recruiters I'm not just picking on you, it's merely just because of the post or article that I saw. If you think about the insurance industry, when the clear majority of cars are self-driving and "accidents" become very rare insurance will become almost redundant as there will be little to no money in it.

It was last year that I believe a lot of people began to see the way the world was moving; automation is on its way and much quicker than we probably think. If we look at what we currently have now in the way of automation and IoT: ticket machines, self-service in shops, pay at pump, self-driving cars, self-driving Ubers (ok in limited form currently, but still out there), automated hoovers, smart speakers, smart central heating systems, smart plugs for home etc, etc. Then you just need to look at what is to come in the next few years: Amazon store (no need to pay, self-replenishing shelves etc), full rollout of Uber's automated cars, automated lorries, no doubt trains also, automated cars in general, with Volvo announcing Skype for Business for their 90 series so people can work while the car drives you to your destination. Let's not get started on 3D printing and people printing buildings (yes that's right), replacement parts on planes are 3D printed, even shoes (honestly, have a Google). These things will have a huge impact on our way of life, for the most part, in a good way.

This obviously got me thinking, I mean I've just become a father, what will be the opportunities for my girl when she grows up? In fact, I've still got, well, some way to go before I'm able to retire, what opportunities lie in front of me as we become an automated society? I'm not deluded, I mean I work in the tech industry, I can see it coming. In some ways, it scares me, I mean it's a big change in the way we live and work (or don't as the case may be). Mainly though it's an exciting prospect, with change comes more opportunities. I will, of course, be encouraging my little girl to learn about technology and the way it's made, how it's controlled and how it's programmed to give her a chance in life, but saying that in 20+ years how am I to know what life will be like. On the plus side, the likelihood is I'll never have to pay for her driving lessons or buy her a car as we'll just be using our phones to order cars to collect us.

So why have I written about this as my first post? It's something that I'm fascinated by, I'm excited by the future but also a little nervous especially for my little girl's future. I just wanted to let you know what my thoughts were on the future, it's set to be an exciting time and we will see the pace of development speed up in the coming few years. Will jobs be created to replace those that this automation and IoT products replace like in the various other revolutions we've experienced in the past? Or will there be some sort of human revolt to stop the rise of the machine…. Hold on to your hats, it's set to be a roller-coaster.