You may not have realized it, but we are currently experiencing a technological shift that will dramatically alter the way we live: the Fourth Industrial Revolution. While some people believe that we are still in Terceira, when the digital and telecommunications revolution has transformed the way people communicate and relate, it is necessary to clarify that this is already in the past. We are in the era of cyber-physical systems, which merge technologies and unite the physical, digital and biological spheres. Compared to the Third Industrial Revolution, this one we are experiencing is far superior in terms of speed, scope and impact. Biotechnology, artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology, 3D printers, drones, autonomous cars, all these technologies and research fields have disruptive capabilities in the most diverse industries and are profoundly changing the way of doing business.
In January 2016, the executive president of the World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab, wrote about the topic, citing the challenges and opportunities, as well as the impacts on business, governments and the population in general. One of the biggest concerns arising from discussions on the subject would be layoffs caused by the intense and extensive use of technology and automation. Researchers at the University of Oxford point out in the article The Future of Employment: How susceptible are Jobs to computerization? that 47% of all US jobs are at risk of disappearing in the next two decades. Due to automation and the use of intelligent systems, it would be possible to replace most of the positions that exist today. Such substitutions would be most likely to occur in areas such as transport and logistics, support work in administrative areas and in the manufacturing sector. The use of autonomous cars in conjunction with the drop in the cost of sensors favors the replacement of positions in the areas of transport; use of drones for deliveries and use of 3D printers to shorten long supply chains would affect the logistics area as a whole; the use of big data together with intelligent systems, it favors a reduction in the need for human capital in administrative areas; in the productive area, what is expected is the continuation of a trend already noticed in the last decades, with an increase in the use of robots and automation in factories.
All of these changes are ongoing right now. Google has been developing and testing its self-driving car since 2009, achieving more than three million kilometers in four US cities. Tesla guaranteed that even in 2017 all cars leaving its factories would have 100% autonomous systems. In 2016, banks such as DBS in Singapore, Royal Bank of Canada and Bradesco here in Brazil began to experiment with Watson, from IBM, for customer service, which could replace the need for people in telemarketing centers, for example. In December 2016, Amazon delivered the first order using drones, with the Amazon Prime Air project. At the beginning of 2017, the same company opened Amazon Go in the United States, the first market that does not have boxes and that, in a short time, will need almost no one for its full operation. The video below shows how the operation works on Amazon Go.
Video 1 – Amazon Go uses technology and artificial intelligence applied to purchases, eliminating the need for billing boxes.
Source:Youtube
Despite this fearful prospect of job elimination, we must not despair. We know that in Brazil the government and legislation prioritize the maintenance of jobs and workers' rights, which would shield these global trends, at least in the short term. In addition, many areas are not easily susceptible to automation and many others still find bottlenecks in the development and engineering for the application of such innovations. According to the study mentioned above, sectors that need creativity and social intelligence are not, in principle, susceptible to computerization and, therefore, developing such skills would be a way to remain attractive in this new job market. Also, programming skills will obviously be an important competency. Finally, what is up to us is to seek qualification and training to prepare us for this imminent future. One thing is certain: those who don't prepare and settle in will be left behind.
Tags: Fourth Industrial Revolution; Innovation; jobs; positions; logistics
References:
http://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/downloads/academic/future-of-employment.pd
http://computerworld.com.br/quarta-revolucao-industrial-chegou-e-voce-nao-passara-imune-ela
Henry Alvarenga
He has been working in consultancy for 7 years, with experience in more than 20 Demand Planning and S&OP projects, Logistics Network Design, Logistics Master Plan, Inventory Policies, Operations Strategy and Market Intelligence
