Al-Masry al-Youm, Egypt, September 6
Serious scientific studies confirm that many of our jobs will disappear in the future, as the robotics industry matures. But the important question remains: Can there be alternatives for the millions of humans who will be replaced by robots and machines? The answer was discussed in a study titled “Future Jobs 2040,” published by the Future Foresight House in Abu Dhabi. Interestingly enough, the study found that technology will create more jobs than it eliminates. While many current jobs will fade out, technology will directly contribute to the creation of new ones. Similarly, according to several McKinsey reports, one-third of new jobs created in the United States over the past 25 years did not exist in the past, including in areas such as IT development, hardware manufacturing, application creation and IT systems management. Therefore, the claim that robots will dominate the future is pure illusion. We cannot imagine a world in which technology dominates everything and the need for mankind is eliminated. Scientific studies now attempt to predict the most important jobs that our children and grandchildren will have in 2040, and what these jobs will look like. For example, one study states that in 2040, a teacher will be able to leave a student alone in the classroom because robots will be used as an effective means of teaching, especially for those skills related to modern technology. Robots may also reach senior management positions, drive cars, fly aircraft and take the place of farmers and industry workers. We must adapt to this changing nature of the world and invest resources in preparing our children for the day and age of robotics. Yes, we must not overlook the fact that man is always the engine of all technological developments. But we also have a duty to understand and manage these emerging technologies. We must conduct a good assessment of our readiness for the future and unleash our creative imagination to determine our goals. I know that the issue is difficult and arduous, and therefore call on all academic research centers in Egypt to discuss this issue seriously. I urge our government to understand the importance of this idea because we are heading toward a future where there is no room to waste time. We must be ready to live and compete in a world where humans and machines work side by side. – Abd al-Latif al-Manawi (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)