Major changes in the workforce are nothing new. In our lifetime we have learned to use computers and watched robots take over manufacturing jobs, but the Chief Data Officer at Virginia Works, Won Kim, says the arrival of artificial intelligence is fundamentally different.
“The speed at which change is happening is one thing that’s significantly different, as well as it’s impacting more higher paid positions.”
Fifteen years ago, for example, scanning technology was putting low-paid cashiers out of business. Now the jobs of some highly trained professionals are at risk and Commissioner Nicole Overley says others are changing due to AI.
"Being a web developer is an occupation that may very much still be in demand in the coming years, but the way AI is going to change components of the job means that the occupation is going to shift."
Her team studied more than 850 job categories, looking for repetitive patterns and things that artificial intelligence could easily do – then predicted that many jobs for computer programmers, medical transcriptionists, data entry operators, proofreaders, mathematicians and some administrators will be eliminated or see significant changes.
The report notes most of these positions are in urban areas, while many manual jobs in rural communities will easily survive the artificial intelligence tsunami.
Kim says we’re seeing rapid adoption of AI— especially by small companies.
“That kind of makes sense when you think about it. They probably have entrepreneurs with either start-ups or businesses that they’re just trying to bootstrap, and they’re leveraging AI to make that happen.”
At firms big and small, Overley says, there will be a fair amount of on-the-job training, but the challenge in educating Virginia’s future workforce is to strike a balance between technology and what she calls durable skills.
“Critical thinking, adaptability, communication, management and leadership, navigating change, complex problem solving.”
She adds that the state is offering free access to Grow With Google -- online courses designed to give people a basic understanding of artificial intelligence.
"For any Virginians who have not yet accessed those courses, they’re available, they’re free and can be accessed from any Internet browser, and it might be helpful if you’re looking for just a basic overview of how to use AI and how to make it beneficial for you."
To learn more, go to https://virginiahasjobs.com/ai/
