Technologies such as digital, big data, Artificial Intelligence, automation and machine learning are increasingly shaping future of work and jobs. Despite concerns about humans losing their jobs to automation, the fact remains that future of jobs has never been brighter, according to Manish Bahl, Senior Director, Centre for the Future of Work, Cognizant Technology Solutions.

Work has always changed, and will continue to change. While work that is tedious and repetitive will get automated, machines will always need humans. It would be naïve to underestimate human imagination or ingenuity. While technology will upgrade all aspects of society, it will not only solve but also create new problems that would require humans, he said in a commentary on trends for 2018 issued by Cognizant. Recent media reports said there have been many job loss in top software companies due to automation and digital.

Based on major macroeconomic, political, demographic, societal, cultural, business and technology trends, it envisioned a set of 21 ‘unimaginable’ jobs that would provide sustainable employment to scores of people in the coming decade. And the foundation may well be laid in 2018.

Job descriptions such as walker/talker, fitness commitment counsellor, digital tailor, ethical sourcing manager, AI business development manager and man-machine teaming manager are among the low-to-mid technology jobs that are expected to be on the HR’s radar in the next five years.

All these jobs would share the common theme of Coaching, Caring and Connecting: Coaching being the human ability to help others get better at life; Caring being the human endeavour of improving people’s health; and Connecting being the intellectual leverage only humans can bring in connecting man with machine, traditional with shadow IT, physical with virtual, and most importantly, commerce with ethics, he said in the commentary.

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