Machines have remodelled our lives at an ever-accelerating pace since the dawn of the industrial revolution. But the most profound revolution yet is about to occur in our working lives, thanks to the exponential influence of artificial intelligence.
And although already underway in many sectors, the robotic revolution is about to transform employment.
Electrical experts at RS Components have commissioned exclusive research suggesting more than 30 percent of UK jobs are under threat from breakthroughs in cutting-edge artificial intelligence tech.
With pioneering advances in technology, many jobs initially considered unsuitable for automation suddenly are at risk.
Employers are increasingly attracted to the role robots can play, due to the increasing need for fewer people in the workplace because of the coronavirus pandemic.
READ MORE: AI-manipulated media will be ‘WEAPONISED’ to trick military
This is because repetitive manual labour and routine tasks can be mimicked easily by fixed machines, saving employers both time and money.
Other industries which could be affected in the next decade include construction, wholesale, retail and property housing and estate management.
A sector where risk is lower for robots taking over roles is within the legal profession, where only 24 percent of jobs are at risk – for now.
Although AI is able to automate some administrative tasks within law, AI is not yet going to replace lawyers anytime soon.
Instead, a more realistic view could be to reduce the hours a lawyer may need to spend on tasks, without making them entirely redundant.
An RS Spokesperson told Express.co.uk: “Whilst the world we currently are living in brings with it concerns and worries surrounding job security for many, the concept of certain roles being replaced by AI is one we should try and approach in a positive manner.
“Not only will this be a gradual process but a vast majority of industries will still require that vital level of human interaction.
“AI is no longer a thing of science fiction, it exists in the world and helps us with more day to day tasks than we even realise or think about.
“Although it may seem worrying from the outset, in reality, AI opens up huge possibilities within workplaces, including new opportunities and roles for people that, at the moment, we can’t even imagine.
“Technological changes may eliminate specific jobs, but historically it has created more roles in the process which is what we should focus on in this scenario.”
However, the future is not all doom and gloom, as experts are increasingly confident automation is capable of boosting productivity, enabling workers to focus on higher-value, more rewarding jobs.
And wealth and spending will also be boosted by the initiation of AI seizing work.
Additionally, there are just some things artificial intelligence cannot yet learn, meaning certain sectors will be safe for many years to come.