Of course, the discovery of fire, the use of steam in industry, and the mastery of electrical energy were essential for the process of human evolution and development, but the digital age and connectivity represent a paradigm of continuous transformation that has an impact on all aspects of our lives.
It is difficult to see what the future holds for us. In all probability, in little more than a decade, the world will be vastly different from the one we know. Technologies such as telecommunications and artificial intelligence will certainly offer almost unlimited opportunities for development.
Well, one of the aspects that causes the greatest concern to people when imagining the future of scientific progress is that of work activity. And it is that work is an element that defines our daily routine, gives us a sense of vocation and transcendence, and even represents a motivation to grow as individuals.
What will be the future of work in this time of change? Of course, we can only speculate about what will happen in the coming years based on the available information, although it is possible to observe some trends.
Without a doubt, the way of working of human beings will be radically transformed. In this sense, I believe that these changes will be mostly positive; however, this will depend on us knowing how to carry out the transition towards a world of work where science and technology are put at the service of people’s quality of life, and not merely for selfish purposes of unscrupulous profit.
The robotization of the industry will allow more and more labor tasks in factories and businesses to be automated. It is often said that this fact will produce unemployment, since it would not be necessary to hire flesh and blood personnel when the machines are in charge of carrying out the work.
On this point, the reality is that the automation process will be gradual, so it is essential that technology itself, with the support of entrepreneurship and innovation, cares about creating new jobs. Furthermore, it is highly feasible that the technological revolution at hand will generate many more jobs than will be eliminated.