AT the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, this year, central bankers, CEOs and politicians, who traditionally take centre stage, seemed to be upstaged, and were themselves amazed, by the prize-winning South Korean robot, Hubo.
Strutting its stuff amid the smartphone-clicking delegates, Hubo demonstrated that computers and microprocessors can be programmed with a level of intelligence that is on par with people in highly skilled areas once considered unassailable by robotics and machines.
Robots are already on the march, moving from factories into homes, hospitals, shops, restaurants and war zones, while advances in areas such as artificial neural networks are starting to blur the divide between man and machine.
We see the rise of smart machines, including self-driving cars, intelligent drones and smart financial-trading machines, that are taking over the role of humans.
Implantable mobile phones, 3D-printed organs for transplant, and clothes and reading-glasses connected to the Internet, may be science fiction today but experts believe these innovations will be scientific fact within a decade as the world enters an era of advanced robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and gene editing.
Some brave souls are even postulating that an AI machine will be on a boards of directors in the next 10 years or so.
The pace at which these robots and intelligent machines are replacing human work could result, according to some estimates, in at least 50 per cent or more of the world’s workforce being unemployed within 30 years.
The question which we must answer and act on, in our own interest and that of future generations, is “How do we deal with a ‘workless’ world resulting from technology we are developing and utilising, and how can this new technology benefit human beings?”
That same question was asked and answered, in various forms, at every turn of the industrial age: From the use of water and steam power to mechanised production, to the use of electric power to create mass production and the use of electronics and information technology to automate production.
Now, the so-called “fourth industrial revolution” is building on the one before it, the digital revolution that has been occurring since the middle of the last century. It is characterised by a fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital and biological spheres.
Some may respond to the question of whether machines would render humans “workless”, by saying: “Yes, but we will then have lots of free time for leisure.”
However, most people have always believed, and still do, that work is essential to human well-being.
A life of leisure alone has never been a popular or a practical option.
We know from the Biblical story of the fall of Man, that humans were destined to: “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread...”
So we worry, and rightly so, as in every industrial age before, that we must find work to do and how the work we now do is taken over by other means.
Development policymakers and practitioners have argued that while it is true that advances in automation and technology have replaced many jobs over the decades, they have also created new occupations and careers that could not have existed before.
Research reveals that the greatest loss of jobs will be in the produce/commodities/goods production sector, construction, white collar occupations, administrative and financial services, legal documentation preparation and in healthcare and energy sectors.
However, this will partially be offset by the creation of roles in areas such as information and communication technology, cutting-edge engineering, genetics, environment management, natural resources conservation, space technology, professional consulting, social media and entertainment.
Low participation in Stem (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education, training and professions, one of the fastest-growing areas of job creation, is one of the main reasons for growing structural unemployment — lack of qualification, skills and competency to fill new jobs created by industrial reorganisation resulting from technological change.
And therein lies the vital challenge that we humans need to take on collectively.
We must prepare our population to meet the demand for new types of work for which we should have a ready supply. Societies and nations that fail to meet this challenge will be left behind.
In fact, these new demands have been with us for at least three or four decades.
Those who recognise it and diligently pursue a path of aligning their education, skills-acquiring and development policies with the changing industrial ethos have and will continue to prosper.
Those who don’t have been left to wallow in false pretences, engage in never-ending and futile debates on the merits or otherwise of one thing or another and, worse, produce a generation of “unemployable” young people — all of which negatively impact social, economic and political development and lead to a frustrated and restive society.
It is imperative for leaders in education, business and policy circles to forge a common vision to guide and help the young reach their full potential, motivate and provide opportunities for society’s active participation and realign the focus of all facets of development to meet the unique and changing demands of a 21st century world.
To that end, those in schools, colleges and in training and professional institutions should be encouraged and facilitated to possess strong content mastery, especially in the specialised Stem fields.
Cultivating critical thinking, creativity, the willingness to collaborate, and, most of all, the ability to communicate effectively, complement and mutually reinforce learning, acquiring and broadening knowledge and honing skills.
The crucial role of competency in the English language, as the largest repository of information and knowledge in these fields of learning and development — irrespective of opinions to the contrary based on individual compulsion or persuasion — cannot be overemphasised.
Nations, societies and institutions that lead today, both in technological advancement and in economic and human development, speak for themselves, e.g. (not by ranking) Norway, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, United States, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong (China), South Korea, Japan, China, India and Brazil, to name a few.
As globalisation and technological innovation expand, our need to prepare the next generation for new occupations and careers becomes even more imperative.
If we seize this moment and work together, our young will be our most valuable asset to compete in the 21st century.
Let’s work together to meaningfully and effectively equip our people and nation to successfully meet the 21st century challenge in the world of work.
n Rueben Dudley,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor