What can’t machines or artificial intelligence do? Skills that will be key according to Citi | Fortune

Given the rise of generative artificial intelligence and the ever-expanding range of skills, one of the greatest unknowns left by this technology is the impact it will have on employment. Casting doubt on future employment opportunities across all disciplines, experts are asking what is the best way to learn to be as prepared as possible. In a recent report, he elaborates…

Given the rise of generative artificial intelligence and the ever-expanding range of skills, one of the greatest unknowns left by this technology is the impact it will have on employment. Casting doubt on future employment opportunities across all disciplines, experts are asking what is the best way to learn to be as prepared as possible. In a recent report prepared by Citi analysts entitled What can’t machines do?The authors of the document summarized a number of skills identified as key, and feedback from experts from different fields. The degree of pessimism and optimism about the impact of AI on employment varies from one expert to another, but there is some agreement on what they think needs to be known.

Of the 28 experts Citi consulted, 64% said communication would be an essential skill among their arsenal, and 64% of those surveyed said it was key. Emotional intelligence (57%), digital skills (54%), empathy (54%) and critical thinking (46%) rounded out the top five. In contrast, only 7% of those surveyed believed that an entrepreneurial mindset and self-awareness would be critical, with organizational ability ranked lowest, with only 4% of those surveyed mentioning it.

Apart from compiling a more or less predictable list of skills that are said to help avoid or minimize the impact of AI, the highlight of the report is the words of the 28 experts included in it. Reading them, one can discern three different currents among them: those who believe that AI will not be such a systemic change, those who believe that skills need to be reordered (the vast majority), and those who argue that the social contract is just around the corner. is about to change, with a revolution in how we understand work, because people will be displaced.

An important tool, but not that revolutionary

Robert Buckland, a senior adviser at Engine AI, a company that helps other companies implement AI, is a leading voice among experts who don’t believe it will have such a systemic impact. Buckland says the first thing he did when he received questions from Citi was translate them to two of today’s leading chatbots. “They gave me very similar answers. Gain digital skills, practice human-AI collaboration, develop critical thinking, the most humane humanities, and continue to learn throughout your life. It was as if both AIs were reacting the same way. When I escalated the questions to my colleagues at Engine AI, I received much more detailed answers,” he begins by explaining.

According to Buckland, one of his colleagues responded: Whatever you decide to improve, you should never lose sight of the impact of AI. “Learning languages ​​helps with analytical and critical thinking, as well as understanding other cultures, but don’t expect to get a job as a translator.” Another suggested that he choose professions that are less threatened by AI. “You may be an electrician or a plumber, but even there you will likely be using AI to better compete with other electricians and plumbers.”

Finally they responded that maybe it wasn’t that revolutionary. “AI is a tool. Just like Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel. They all help improve productivity. Anyone who does not use these tools is already left behind today. Word and Excel are necessary but not sufficient for success in many of today’s professions. AI will be no exception.”

Technology that changes what matters

Most of the experts in the Citi report fall into this category: they believe that AI will change the employment paradigm because it will change what knowledge is important and what is not. Carl Benedikt Frey, associate professor of artificial intelligence at the Oxford Internet Institute, says there is a short answer to the question of which skills will be key: “all those that AI is not good at.” The short answer is yes, but that by no means closes the question because then comes the definition of what they are.

Benedikt Frey believes that personal communication and creativity are among the fundamental elements. Widespread assumption. Other experts, such as Chris Butt, founder of Cognisess and Yondur, a human resources company, add emotional intelligence, critical thinking and adaptability. Many people agree with this short list.

Bill Schaninger, advisor to Modern Executive Solutions, emphasizes the fact that knowledge of artificial intelligence itself and leadership will be two important assets to keep in mind. Another point of agreement among experts is that the education system is destined to be very different, or at least it should be from their point of view. In addition to suggesting that AI should be taught across disciplines rather than just methods, they believe the system should focus on teaching skills such as adaptation, problem solving and lifelong learning rather than being based on “memorization and regurgitation”. information.”

A revolution that will make us obsolete

Anton Korinek, a professor at the University of Virginia and Darden School of Business, may be the expert who offers the most troubling vision. First, Korinek distinguishes between time frames. “In the next five years, the most important skill for office workers will be the ability to use AI versatility. The good side is that the technologies we have and will have in the short term make people more productive, the bad side is that they reduce the market value of human capital,” he says about the very near future.

“In the medium to long term, it is foreseeable that artificial intelligence systems will be able to be more efficient than humans in all cognitive functions, including jobs requiring creativity or emotional intelligence. Leaders of major artificial intelligence labs estimate that this will happen in less than five years, but I think it will take a couple more years. Robotics won’t be far behind when it comes to automating physical tasks. My fear is that human labor will become an obsolete asset,” he says.

Given the difficulty of understanding this idea, Korinek uses a comparison. “If you were born 200 years ago, gaining physical strength would make you a more valuable worker. Since then, mechanization has reduced the value of physical strength in employment. Just as the legendary John Henry succumbed to the tireless efficiency of the steam engine, office workers will also see their labor costs fall, only at a much faster rate.” According to the professor, neither people, nor companies, nor governments are ready for what will happen. He believes that if we want to preserve democracy and humanity in a world in which robots and artificial intelligence do cognitive and physical work better than we can, we need to rethink the role of work and the structure of the economic system.

“Instead of engaging in a futile zero-sum game in which we try to counteract the effects of increasingly efficient machines with more varied abilities, we need to focus our efforts on making AI have human values. At the same time, we must update our economic system to ensure that the benefits of AI are available to everyone. We must act now,” Korinek concludes.

Whatever happens, which no one knows for sure yet, Citi is leaving something undeniable in its document. “AI will not wait for anyone. “The race between the progress of artificial intelligence and the ability of humans to adapt has already begun.”

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