An Article from 2015 for 2025 - Jobless due to Artificial Intelligence (AI) !

The rise of robotics and automation is no longer a distant prospect—it’s a reality already affecting various industries. As technology advances, the fear that robots will replace humans in the workforce grows. According to forecasts from the Boston Consulting Group, by 2025, a significant portion of today’s jobs, about 25%, could be performed by robots or automated systems. In the UK, a study by Oxford University predicts that 35% of jobs could be automated within the next 20 years.

The Threat to Repetitive Jobs

For many workers involved in repetitive or data-driven tasks, the threat of automation is imminent. Office workers who handle routine tasks like managing spreadsheets or data entry are already seeing their jobs being automated by intelligent software. But which other sectors are likely to follow suit?

1. Taxi Drivers

Perhaps one of the most publicized industries facing disruption is transportation. In particular, taxi drivers are at risk due to the rise of ride-hailing services like Uber, which has already reduced the need for traditional taxi drivers. However, both Uber and Google are going a step further, developing driverless cars that could eliminate the need for human drivers altogether. As early as this year, the UK plans to roll out self-driving taxis, although regulatory hurdles still need to be overcome.

The Chairman of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association in the UK, Steve McNamara, argues that the immediate threat of self-driving cars is overstated, citing the need for further testing and regulatory approval. However, it's clear that this technology is advancing rapidly, and the future of taxi driving could soon involve little to no human interaction.

2. Factory Workers

In manufacturing, automation has already taken a significant toll. In China, entire factories are becoming robot-run operations. The Dongguan region, for example, has implemented factories where robots do nearly all of the work, reducing the need for human workers by up to 90%. Additionally, companies like Foxconn, which produces iPhones, aim to replace 30% of their human workforce with robots in the next five years.

This shift to automation is not just happening in China. Companies worldwide are exploring ways to reduce labor costs by replacing human workers with more efficient machines. This is a clear indication that factory jobs, particularly those that involve routine, manual labor, are at significant risk of being replaced by robotics.

3. Journalists

While it may seem like journalism is a creative field resistant to automation, some aspects of it are already being taken over by robots. Software like Quill, developed by the company Narrative Science, can automatically generate reports based on data—such as financial earnings or sports scores—far faster than human reporters. The company claims that its software can write thousands of reports in the time it would take a human to write just one.

Experts like Kristian Hammond, the chief scientist at Narrative Science, predict that up to 90% of news reports could be written by machines within the next 15 years. However, this doesn't mean that human journalists will be entirely replaced. Instead, their roles may evolve, with robots handling routine reports and journalists focusing on investigative or opinion-based work that requires human judgment and creativity.

4. Doctors

In the medical field, robots have been making significant inroads. IBM’s Watson, for example, has been working with hospitals in the U.S. to recommend treatments for cancer patients based on massive amounts of data. Robots are also already assisting in surgeries, with some systems able to perform tasks like stitching up blood vessels faster than human surgeons.

Despite their success, robots in healthcare still face challenges. For example, a study revealed that robotic surgeries in the U.S. were linked to 144 deaths over the past decade. While the technology holds promise, doctors are still reluctant to let go of the reins completely. Experts like Jerry Kaplan, author of Humans Need Not Apply, argue that as AI continues to improve and produce better outcomes, patients may begin to prefer robots over human doctors.

5. Bartenders

In hospitality, robots are also starting to replace human workers. On the luxury cruise ship Anthem of the Seas, a robot named Shakr Makr prepares cocktails for guests. Customers can order drinks using a tablet, or even create their own custom cocktails, which the robot then mixes and serves. While the technology is still in its early stages, it shows how automation could eventually take over jobs in the service industry, particularly for roles that involve routine tasks like mixing drinks.

The Bigger Question: What Happens to the Jobless?

With automation replacing jobs at such a rapid pace, the bigger question is what happens to those workers who are displaced by robots. Martin Ford, author of Rise of Robots, suggests that unless radical changes are made to the economic system, we may see widespread unemployment and social unrest. Some advocate for solutions like universal basic income, where every citizen receives a guaranteed wage, regardless of employment status.

In the future, jobs may be less about performing manual tasks and more about creative thinking, emotional intelligence, or providing services that machines can't replicate. Experts like Nello Cristianini from Bristol University hope that professions like teaching, healthcare, and law will remain human-centric, as they often require empathy and human interaction.

Conclusion: Adapting to Change

The rise of robots and automation is set to change the job landscape dramatically. While certain sectors are at risk of losing jobs to machines, others may evolve to require new skills that can’t be easily automated. The future will require a careful balance between embracing technological progress and ensuring that workers are supported during this transition. Whether through retraining, economic policies, or the creation of new human-centered roles, society will need to adapt to the coming wave of automation.