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We are entering a decade of profound, irreversible changes

Francisco Miraval

During the next ten years, we will face “deep changes and challenges”, both in the United States and around the world, affecting specially those who work in manual work or general work without special skills, according to a recent report presented by economist and futurist Larry Boyer.

Boyer says that the time has arrived for humans to realize the “dark consequences” of the challenges we are about to face, including technological advances, the arrival of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics, the unending ups and down of economic cycles, the growing power of global corporations, and the undeniable social changes.

Boyer believes that during the next ten years up to two thirds of all workers in developing countries will be replaced by intelligent robots. The change will affect not only the economy of those countries, but the whole global economy. It will also change the traditional idea of a “sovereign nation”.

The new situation, frequently called the “Fourth Industrial Revolution”, means the global economy is changing from production of goods to knowledge. For that reason, people should develop “new skills” thanks to “ceaselessly training”.

“We are entering a new age of unprecedented economic changes, filled with dangers and opportunities”, said Boyer, adding that his approach to the future is partially based on the “Preparing Ourselves for the Future of Artificial Intelligence”, published last November by the White House.

“However, Artificial Intelligence is only one component of a deeper change. What we are going to see is a total transformation of industries, business, and careers”, said Boyer.

Those changes, in turn, will not only impact business, but also education, teaching and learning, life in general, and our ability to adjust ourselves “to the new time of humanity on the age of intelligent machines”.

“It is your humanity what will allow you to find a job”, Boyer said.

This is certainly not a new challenge. More than half a century ago (1963), theologian and thinker Paul Tillich said in Morality and Beyond that “we are living during a historical time characterized by profound transformation”.

“We are moving from a historical era to a new one and nobody can doubt it”, Tillich said.

One of the potentially irreversible changes, according to a recent study published by the University of Oxford, is the imminent end of two careers: teachers and journalism. In the case of teachers, they will be replaced by educational technology which will transform all education in virtual education.

In the case of reporters, the transformation has begun as it is clear by the fact that many stories are now written by algorithms (not by human beings) and it is increasingly difficult to distinguish real news from fake ones.

According to the University of Oxford, in the near future journalists will become commentators or analysts, o experts in public relations, working as spokesperson of companies or organizations. Regardless, journalism will soon disappear. Can we imagine a world with no teachers or reporters? Very soon, however, there will be no need to imagine it.

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