The Future of Work - Brain Flexibility

How will the Human Workforce stack up against a future where the world demands the convenience, availability and ubiquitousness of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.)

Artificial Intelligence is fast becoming the new ‘human intelligence’ exponentially self-improving via smart ‘learning’ algorithms. Access to extreme volumes of information (impossible for the human brain to match), combined with blindingly fast computing, and access to trillions of pieces of information will provide highly accurate answers – instantly - for real world problems.

Every genre of human learning is online – medical, legal, manufacturing, scientific, psychological, artistic, political, agricultural, aeronautical the list goes on. Because A.I. will make every profession instantly smarter – the rate of technological improvement will likely overwhelm society, with change possible in weeks instead of years.

Where does that leave us humans? The key will be our often-neglected ability to adapt.

We do not fully know how Artificial Intelligence will change things in the workplace, but we do know it will be significant.

Currently, the working world largely employs experts living in skill silos – where left brain analytical roles largely reject creativity or where right brain extroverts are driven towards the softer people skills.

Tools like personality and skills tests are judged against specific criteria and then ‘normalised’ against similar attributes within control groups. These can be useful in some ways, to help understand a person’s suitability to a role or position, however as many will have experienced, they are just one tool that employers use to make selection of candidates easier.

If they worked 100% of the time, we would have the perfect workforce, which, as we know is far from the truth, and becoming much less relevant.

Many human factors, which are not tested, are just as relevant if not more relevant to the selection of the right employee. What we learn – but are not taught – are a series of situational expectations, which everyone uses for landing a position – but the new paradigm, will show them to be are classically flawed.

I believe we are on the verge of a very big change, where the most valuable employees will be the ones who can produce, develop and promote flexibility in the workplace. In my opinion, there will be no one role or industry, that people will be aligned with for their entire working life.

Through the acceptance of A.I. as better than human judgement, an adaptable employee, may become a doctor without a traditional ‘university degree’, a software broker may turn their hand to leisure or agricultural production from their home - knowledge stored in the grey matter will give way to flexible thinking using these new technological A.I. tools as the expert source.

In our current paradigm, old ways of learning, transacting and behaving still persist as many institutions resist change. Just as cars were seen as a fad, a large part of our modern population may not see the impact until it is upon them.

I foresee our new society will be driven less by academics, and more by the individuals willing to multi task with all of their skills. A bit like a start up being like a corporation, but run by one person.

We may be the cusp of a ‘New Renaissance’ especially for those talented people, who enjoy using both hemispheres of their brain. Lets hope our education system gets a jump start to promote this new intelligence and create a workforce of people ready for a whole new era.