Thanks to the technology available today, humanity has been able to create and produce feats that would not have been possible centuries ago. Technology has not only made things easier for us, but also more low-cost and less effort on our part.
Unfortunately, this means that as technology continues to develop and make our lives easier, it is possible for robotics and AI to one day take over certain tasks that are currently performed by human labor. Here are 10 examples of jobs that are lilely to become obsolete by the next decade.
Pharmacists
Robots may soon be responsible for filling out and compounding prescription orders. The UCSF Medical Center launched automated robotics-controlled pharmacies at two of their hospitals. Physicians and pharmacists send out medication orders online and robots were in charge of picking, packaging, and dispensing various doses. Their system had prepared 350,000 doses – all without error.
Retail Salespeople and Cashiers
As early as now, we’re beginning to see the start of automation as people can now do contactless purchases and checkouts. With McDonald’s self-order kiosks reducing labor costs around the world, the rise of online shopping, ATMs reducing the need for bank tellers, and self-service machines now being found in retail stores, these jobs may soon become obsolete.
Telemarketers
You might have already gotten a taste of dealing with a computer at the other end of the line of a marketing call. Telemarketing jobs are expected to decline by 3% by 2024. This is due to the fact that conversion rates for direct telephone sales have less than a 10% success rate, which means businesses might find it better to have the role automated rather than hire someone to do the work.
Bookkeepers
Bookkeeping software today has become so streamlined and common that small to medium business owners can simply use these softwares to automate their bookkeeping. Buying the program is much more affordable than a monthly salary, which is why bookkeeping jobs are expected to go down by 8% by 2024.
Receptionists
With automated phone systems handling and transferring calls and scheduling software arranging meetings taking the place of traditional receptionists, it may be possible that a receptionist’s roles may be replaced by technology.
Proofreaders
Writing and editing may be one of the few jobs that are unlikely to be replaced by AI, but proofreaders whose sole job is to check for spelling and grammar errors have a high chance of becoming obsolete. Microsoft Word’s spelling and grammar check is becoming more developed, while software such as Grammarly can fix grammar and spelling errors on the fly.
Lawyers and Paralegals
While human input may still be required to interpret laws and argue for clients, many of the roles lawyers and paralegals have may be handed over to AI for streamlined processing. This can range from legal discovery, drafting contracts, and even handling common cases such as parking fines and divorce proceedings.
Data Entry Clerks
A data entry job involves inputting a lot of data into a company’s system. This job can be repetitive, can be automated, and be done for less cost. Having data entry automated also ensures that there is no human error to affect the data, making it much more appealing to business owners.
Drivers
Self-driving cars still have a long way to go before they can be allowed on public roads. However, the attempts to build these cars are there, which threatens public and private vehicle drivers. At the moment, self-driving cars are still in development and are tested on roads with a controlled environment and little traffic. But in a decade or so, companies like Uber, taxi companies, and other vehicle companies may opt for self-driving cars if it’s available in the market.
Construction Workers
Plenty of manual labor jobs are expected to become obsolete in the future, and construction workers are one of them. Robots can work around the clock without getting tired, speeding up the process of building without trading in the quality of the work done. As of now, there are robots to perform bricklaying and other basic tasks, but it won’t be long before the more complex tasks can be done with robotic tech.
