#Caringisaprofession

For years, the discussion amongst human resources intelligence and technology insiders have revolved around AI - have we by chance created humankind's biggest workforce or the worst job loss nightmare? As we look into the crystal ball for answers, we keep coming back to the same keyword that reassures our competitive edge: humanity.

As 2020 unravelled itself and turned into a real-life sci-fi movie, where the unprecedented and unpredictable became possible, and many experience the worst collective job losses and changes in history, it is high time to we took a moment and reflect on the million-dollar career question: what does the future of work has in store for us all.

But before the pandemic took place, human's biggest rival in the job market has long been emerging - and emerging fast: Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Over the years, careers insiders, consultants, and even academics have had discussions on this pressing topic of whether AI has the potential to replace humankind, take up jobs and leave humans jobless. Dystopian it may sound, it makes sense as we evolve with technologies, just as industrial revolutions in the past - the invention of the steam engine, the sewing machine, electricity - have displaced jobs.

But the truth is, that future may not be far. Israeli writer and historian Yuval Noah Harari talks about the emergence of a "useless class" by 2050 — the consequence of a "shortage of jobs or a lack of relevant education" and "insufficient mental stamina to continue learning new skills".

Similarly, in a 2017 report, the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) estimated that by 2030, up to a third of the American workforce will have to switch to new occupations or upgrade skills. Automation and AI will undoubtedly lift productivity and economic growth; eventually, however, it might even cause 'white-collar' jobs that demand high expertise and ingenuity to disappear gradually.

Seeing this AI crisis coming, how can we best equip ourselves? Can certain skills or industries reassure us that we can transcend above AI's capabilities and competence?

Humanity vs AI: what makes us different?

While everyone must have come across predictive reports and articles listing the industries and fields that are ranking at the top for being at the highest risk of being wiped out by AI. Instead of approaching the question by field and skills that stand a better chance, let us reverse-engineer by asking ourselves, what makes us different from robots and ultimately irreplaceable?

Drilling down the question of what Humanity is, there are 4 main qualities that can be recognized:

1. Innovation

Though AI is a technology marvel that has been tailored to compute, to use algorithms to predict, to take up repetitive, robotic tasks for the humankind, AI itself is not born out of thin air - it is an innovation of, by and for humankind, a product of human's ideas and thinking. The coming of AI stemmed from the imagination of "what if robots and machines can automate some of my work for me", later coupled with tons of hard work to be built. As ex-president of Google China and AI expert Kai-Fu Lee aptly puts it, "AI needs to be given a goal to optimize. It cannot invent". Or put it this way - AI can assist Elon Musk, but it cannot be Elon Musk.

Innovation remains a task that is wired by human brains and studied meticulously to meet the needs of humankind. Those who aspire to be the next Elon Musk, or even simply interested in engineering driverless cars or even operating fleets - go for it. AI is nowhere near replacing us yet.

2. Creativity

Similar to innovative jobs and Lee's theory of "AI needing a goal to optimize & cannot invent", arts, creatives and humanities are expressions of ideas, stories, emotions, relics of humanities, creations of original thinkers and skilled artists.

Unlike computer science and algorithms, art and creative works are not composed of numbers or data, which are even harder to be replicated by AI. So fret not, artistic heads and creative minds, go ahead and keep the creative work coming - chances are AI cannot replace you soon, either.

3. Problem-solving Skills

When it comes to business making and operations, does AI have a role to play? Business is all about problem-solving - from identifying an unfulfilled niche in the market to working out an effective system that generates profit, problem-solving is at the core of this career nature. While AI can serve as a wondrous tool that pulls data and draws case study references that fuel business to thrive, its problem-solving skills stop right there.

AI may assist business owners in making better data-backed decisions. However, to get to the roots of problems, or to come up with solutions, it still requires the human brain's analytical thinking to validate the data and process the problem, not to mention the verve and intuition it requires to make the final call. Based on AI's current capabilities, it looks like business geniuses and problem-solvers still have a huge advantage over AI.

4. Compassion

Another quality that is only found in humans and cannot be replicated by robots would be compassion. Not only do we thrive as individuals, we feel for others, too. Many would agree that their workplace aspiration is to help others, and from there set childhood goals to become doctors and nurses one day. Toppled with the pandemic, healthcare and wellness have most certainly become a growingly important industry that many would join.

While medicals have been trying to incorporate AI to augment doctors' work, AI cannot cheat trust, empathy or compassion. As Lee wrote, "even if AI tried to fake it, no one would want a chatbot telling them they have cancer".

With innovation, creativity, problem-solving skills, and compassion, these human qualities are good enough to keep you irreplaceable by AI in the long run. So give yourself a pad on the shoulder - you are amazing and unique enough for being human.

人性：與人工智能的最後博弈

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