Technology already outperforms humans in many areas, but surely we would never accept machines as teachers, doctors or judges? Don’t be so sure
The main themes of our book, The Future of the Professions, can be put simply: machines are becoming increasingly capable and so are taking on more and more tasks.
Many of these tasks were once the exclusive preserve of human professionals such as doctors, lawyers and accountants. While new tasks will certainly emerge in years to come, it is probable that machines will, over time, take on many of these as well. In the 2020s, we say, this will not mean unemployment, but rather a need for widespread retraining and redeployment. In the long run though, we find it hard to avoid the conclusion that there will be a steady decline in the need for traditional professional workers.
The Susskinds don’t just foresee the robotization of accountants, actuaries, and architects. They anticipate the emergence of bot preachers, ministering to avatars in Second Life’s virtual cathedrals. They ride the “massive open online course” bandwagon, however stalled it may be at present.Frank Pasquale
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