Robots to Take Over 6 Percent of U.S. Jobs by 2021

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Are robots going to steal your job? According to a new report from Forrester Research, that depends.

The Forrester report says that robots and other “intelligent agents” will eliminate 6 percent of jobs in the United States by 2021.

But don’t get too worked up thinking about a bot taking over your desk and workload. Forrester says there are specific industries that will take the biggest hit from artificial intelligence, at least in the foreseeable future. Forrester Vice President Brian Hopkins says in the report, according to The Guardian:

“By 2021, a disruptive tidal wave will begin. Solutions powered by AI/cognitive technology will displace jobs, with the biggest impact felt in transportation, logistics, customer service, and consumer services.”

Artificial intelligence-powered systems that can understand our behavior and offer suggestions or make decisions on our behalf are already in use today with chatbots, automated robotic systems and virtual assistants — think Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana and Amazon’s Alexa.

“These robots can be helpful for companies looking to cut costs, but not so good if you’re an employee working in a simple-to-automate field,” says The Guardian.

Meanwhile, a new study by Goldman Sachs aims to dispel the concern that robots are going after our jobs, according to Money. The report says that although advances in AI will replace some jobs, it should also unlock new opportunities for job creation and the potential for new industries.

Goldman Sachs says it’s important for workers, policymakers and corporations to work together to proactively manage the transition.

“We have to find ways of bringing corporations and the government into that risk sharing,” study co-author Steve Strongin tells Bloomberg.

According to Money, Goldman’s report also provides several ideas on how to give “old-economy jobs” a path to career advancement and earnings potential, “including improving education and encouraging companies to invest in more worker training, support for entrepreneurs and freelancers, and making it easier for people to get jobs in up-and-coming professions.”

Do you consider artificial intelligence a threat to your job? Share your concerns below or on our Facebook page.

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