Jobs of the future: Finalé – a vision of 2100

I found a very nice montage of the future jobs world on my newsfeed the other day, so here is the final summary of the other work we will be doing. I don't agree with all of the thoughts below, e.g. working anywhere in the world is already here, but it makes for an interesting finalé to this series of posts.

What will work look like in 2100?

Since the Internet's invention more than 40 years ago, endless dreams have been realized, and the face of our planet has been forever changed. So it certainly isn’t a reach to consider how vastly indistinguishable the world and the workplace might be in the year 2100. How different will our jobs look by then? Will technology create a significant overhaul in how things get done? And will there be jobs in the future that don’t exist yet? Here's a few ideas ...

Futurists

Did you know that there is already a job out there in which people predict what the future will look like? People in these roles are known as futurists, and they are charged with determining how the world will look based on current trends.

Automation

As automation rises in the ranks of society, many futurists believe that the way we conduct work at this moment will be revolutionised and will look completely different by the year 2100.

Industrial Revolution

Many of the last vestiges of the Industrial Revolution will cease to exist by then. While the industrial age saw a spike in commercialisation and jobs, many of its traits will fall out of favor as technology becomes dominant.

Standardised hours

In 2100, standardised working hours will be a thing of the past. Many companies are already committing to more flexible schedules for employees, while remote work has seen a massive rise.

Remote work

Speaking of remote work, by the year 2100, hyper-efficient Internet connections and immersive virtual environments will mean that physical offices may see extinction. Not only would this save costs, but it would also promote work-life balance.

Hierarchies

Interestingly, many futurists believe that, while technology rises rapidly, humanity will actually revert back to the tribal work structure that existed in preindustrial times. Hierarchies will be abolished, and community will become more important than ever.

Retirement

The concept of retirement will also be retired! Computerisation is the inevitable way forward for humanity, and as technology becomes more sophisticated, humans will start focusing more on problems that computers cannot solve. Instead of retiring at a fixed, old age, people will take breaks throughout their lives to reorient their minds and retrain.

Current artificial intelligence

One thing that needs to be understood is that artificial intelligence at its current level in the world is not, technically speaking, actual AI. Instead, it’s an amalgamation of coding and algorithms made to seem intelligent.

The future of AI

Futurists believe that actual artificial intelligence (the type seen in science-fiction works that rivals humans) will be reached in the next few decades, and this is the technology that will shape the workplace.

Advanced collaboration

Artificial intelligence will handle most routine and repetitive tasks in the future, allowing workers to focus on more creative and interpersonal aspects of their jobs. AI will serve as a collaborative partner and provide extensive insights into the world around us.

Teams

While big office spaces will become a thing of the past, massive teams full of dissimilar workers will also fade away. AI tools and algorithms will help companies create small teams based on people’s complementary personality traits and skills, which will prove more successful for businesses.

The future is female

In the United States and the European Union, women are statistically more educated than men, with more than 50% of women obtaining a tertiary education compared to the average 37% of men. By the year 2100, it is predicted that this number will only increase, and women will dominate the workforce.

Pay gap

The inevitable rise of women in the professional world, the gender pay gap will still exist in the future. Indeed, the World Economic Forum has predicted that the gap won’t close for another 210 years.

Less work, more play

Measuring work productivity in hours may seem like a natural idea now, but the future will most likely see this disappear. As people start to become more comfortable and familiar with technology, the average workweek (which sits at about 37 hours), will trickle down to about 30 hours by the year 2100.

Leadership

As the future draws closer and people prioritise their individuality and their passion over a conveyer-belt-type occupation, the concept of leadership will be synonymous with motivation. Leadership will be a fluid role as companies understand their necessity to bring people together.

Biotechnology

All the advances that we are currently seeing in biotechnology, genetics, and medicine will ensure that people stay healthier and live for longer. This could mean that the workplace will include octogenarians with enough energy to rival 40-year-olds.

Colonies

The current trend in technology and travel means that humans will most likely colonise Mars and (potentially) other planets and moons. New jobs and industries will arise as these colonies find a foothold, and humans in 2100 will be at the precipice of the interstellar age.

Art

Contrary to the current climate, art cannot be created by technology. Artificial intelligence may see its continued rise to replace humans in various professions, but creating art will remain one of the few untouched bastions of civilisation.

Work without borders

In 2100, the workforce will also be truly global, with no geographical barriers. Workers will be able to take jobs across the world without relocating, thanks to advanced communication technology and the fostering of connection between nations.

New professions

Many of the jobs we have right now will see humans replaced by technology, but there are some jobs that don’t even exist yet that will most likely make an appearance by the year 2100, and which only humans can do. Let’s see what they could be.

Nostalgist

As humans continue living for longer and our history stretches onward, it’s easy to forget where we came from. In the future, there very well might be someone whose job it is to remind us. Specialists would trade in nostalgia and make us continually aware of what makes us human.

Autonomous transportation specialist

While driverless cars and transportation slowly enter society, this technology needs to be integrated into our current world. An entire profession would open up wherein people do exactly that, to ensure that autonomous transportation blends seamlessly with what is already there.

Simplicity expert

The world we know will get more complicated very quickly, in the same way that adding more parts to a machine makes it increasingly complex. Simplicity experts will be tasked with streamlining things in society and making our lives a little bit easier.

End of life therapist

While many of us would much rather avoid the topic of death and our final years, this might not be the case in the future. As our lifespans increase, people may focus less on expensive treatments and more on ways to enjoy their final moments.

Human-technology integration specialist

As the presence of technology grows to unimaginable heights, it’s important that people are assisted in understanding how new tech works. Specialists will most likely be employed for this purpose and to help people embrace change.

Media remixer

First came the DJ (disc jockey), then the VJ (video jockey). Perhaps the next step in the evolution is that of a media remixer, who uses not only audio and video to create unique experiences, but also other media that is yet to be invented.

Telesurgeon

Medicine will surely rise to new heights by 2100, and a new job to arise will most likely be the “remote surgeon.” Using advanced technology, these specialists would be able to perform complex surgeries from the other side of the planet.

Utopia or dystopia?

The truth is that many futurists offer up predictions of the year 2100 that are based on optimism of Earth’s development. As such, many of their views are steeped in the idea of a utopian future, which may possibly not come to pass.

A healthy dose of skepticism

It goes without saying that the predictions made by futurists are nothing more than possibilities of how our world might look in years to come, and they should be taken with a spoonful of skepticism. Nevertheless, it is exciting to ponder how our descendants will live, and what wonders they might create.

Sources: (Fast Company) (Humane Future of Work) (SilverDoor) (Statista) (World Economic Forum)

This is the last of a series focused upon the jobs of the future …

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