The Australian science agency issued a report about the coming insinuation of AI in the workplace over the next 20 years. It’s relatively sanguine, acknowledging that some jobs will vanish but arguing that others will be created. The paper also forwards the idea that tomorrow’s workplace will be akin to freestyle chess, with humans and robots forming teams. That’s likely true in the short run, but two important caveats to consider: 1) Perhaps far more jobs will disappear than be created, and 2) AI may not ultimately need our helping hands very much. If the latter happens too quickly, things could get messy. Until then, we may be able to gain employment as “online chaperones” and such.

From Paul Karp at the Guardian:

The employment minister, Michaelia Cash, released the report on Friday at the Australian Computer Society’s conference.

Cash said the report showed “some jobs will inevitably become automated over the coming years but technological change will improve others and also create new jobs and opportunities.”

“The future won’t be about people competing with machines, it will be about people using machines and doing work that is more interesting and fulfilling,” she said.

The report identifies six mega-trends in the workforce, the most important of which is an “explosion in device connectivity, data volumes and computing speed, combined with rapid advances in automated systems and artificial intelligence means that robotic devices can perform many tasks more quickly, safely and efficiently than humans.”

Increased automation will raise the complexity of workers’ tasks. “Many low-skilled jobs are being offshored or automated. The consequence is the likelihood of a raised skills and education bar for entry into many professions and occupations,” the report said.•