The fear of losing ones job to technology is real. While the global economy is positioned to see job growth for the next few years, it is important to understand that the real effects of job loss from AI, robotics, blockchain and autonomous transportation haven’t really begun.
A leader in the development of AI and a benefactor of robotics / automation and the potential for autonomous transportation is obviously Amazon. Yes, these efforts will disrupt jobs, but Amazon recently announced that they intend to invest in upskilling much of their human workforce to become viable employees performing new jobs.
In a recent press release Amazon pledged to upskill 100,000 US based workers through programs like their Associate2Tech and Amazon Technical Academy programs.
Obviously this is great news for Amazon employees who face job elimination in the future, but what happens to the millions and millions of people who don’t work for the few firms like Amazon that have such programs? Certainly other employers will also have new jobs being created as advancements threaten existing jobs. The real problem will be for the average person, whose job is seeming swept away overnight, to react and find a way to upskill quickly and still feed a family.
Do you currently see any real opportunities for the average person to upskill on their own outside or enrolling in college or a formal training school?