What jobs won't exist in 20 years?

Recent correspondence included an infographic with the heading "10 Common Jobs That Won't Exist in 20 Years Time." At the conclusion of this article, you'll find a reproduction of the infographic that was first published on LottoLand, a website situated in the United Kingdom that is associated with gambling in some way.

The infographic consists mostly of a compilation of common knowledge on professions that are on the verge of extinction. As is customary, popular knowledge is often incorrect; thus, I have listed the positions below and supplied my personal point of view on them.

1. Cashiers have been replaced with self-service checkout machines

According to LottoLand, "With the proliferation of self-checkout devices, it's unlikely to be long before cashier positions are rendered obsolete totally." [Citation needed] On top of this, the possibility to buy for groceries online is growing, with major companies such as Amazon now providing delivery of fresh foods in addition to their many other services.

My comment: Close but no cigar. There will no longer be a need for cashiers or self-checkout devices since customers will be able to use RFID tags that automatically charge their accounts as they leave the shop. You also have the option of purchasing things from a showroom that just contains samples, but the genuine product will be sent to you.

2. Home delivery of newspapers against electronic reading devices

LottoLand: "With the popularity of tablets and e-readers on the increase, newspapers in their hard copy form are progressively being driven out of the equation." [Citation needed] LottoLand: [Citation needed] Because more and more people are turning to the internet for their daily dose of news, the need for businesses that distribute newspapers will soon disappear.

My view is that there are no legitimate arguments against this one.

3. Travel agencies have been replaced by travel websites

LottoLand: "Consumers are becoming more and more autonomous when it comes to organizing their vacations overseas as a result of the abundance of airfare comparison websites and holiday package options that are readily accessible at our fingertips online." The vast majority of these websites are currently capable of doing almost everything that a travel agent would do for you, and given the rate at which technology is advancing, it is quite doubtful that it will be long until there is no longer any need for travel agents at all.

My comment is that although travel agents are not required to make vanilla travel arrangements anymore, high-end travel (including businesspeople and wealthy tourists) has created a demand for highly skilled agents who take care of all the details and ensure that their clients do not become stranded or have an experience similar to that of United Airlines.

4. Taxi dispatchers -> smartphone applications

"Mobile applications like Uber and Lyft have enabled us to eliminate the need for a middleman when it comes to booking cabs," said LottoLand. "This has helped us to save a significant amount of money." Unfortunately, taxi dispatchers must play the role of the intermediary in all of their interactions. These applications are already accessible in areas all over the world, and the prevalence of their presence is steadily eliminating the necessity for normal taxi services.

My view is that I'm not sure whether the position of "taxi dispatcher" was ever very prevalent, but ride-sharing services are unquestionably causing significant shifts in one segment of the transportation business.

5. Taxi drivers will be replaced by automobiles that drive themselves

LottoLand: Given the recent developments that have been made with self-driving automobiles, it is reasonable to predict that taxi drivers will someday become obsolete and be replaced by less expensive and labor-free ways of transportation.

My remark is that at this time, self-driving cars, also known as vehicles that do not have a person behind the wheel, are only allowed to function in highly controlled environments and have not been adequately tested in the grit and grime of actual driving situations. In addition to that, what about online safety and security? Because there are so many security flaws in the "internet of things," a hacker might take control of your vehicle, demand a ransom from you, and then either drive you over a cliff or into the path of an oncoming truck.

6. Journalists are being replaced by software that uses artificial intelligence

LottoLand states that "advanced breakthroughs in artificial intelligence software suggest that soon enough even writing will not be an issue for AI," and that "in certain circumstances it's already been able to employ it for tasks such as drafting quarterly reports." This lends credence to the idea that in the not-too-distant future, material may be produced with no input from humans at all.

My comment: ROFLMAO. To begin, for the previous three decades, there have been no "advanced breakthroughs" in any artificial intelligence (AI) program. The sole advancement is that AI systems may now draw on "big data," but other than that, it's just the same old thing. Second, the production of a quarterly report is not even considered to be technical writing; rather, it consists of entering figures into a template. In order for an artificial intelligence software to really write anything except meaningless gibberish, the program would need to be a thinking machine. In spite of all the hoopla, we are not any closer to doing it now than we were thirty years ago.

7. A person who is an expert in social media > ordinary people

"The next generation of employees will grow up with social media embedded into their daily lives from the very beginning of their lives," said LottoLand. Keeping this in mind, it is very unlikely that there would be a need for a profession that is specifically devoted to administering and maintaining social media, since there will just be common abilities rather than a specialized vocation.

My reply is that this is true, but only until one of them tweets a private sext to the company account by mistake. Even if it's only to prevent a business from embarrassing itself, there will always be a need for "experts" in social media, whose primary function is to act as gatekeepers.

8. Telemarketers -> robots

LottoLand: "While you may celebrate that this may finally put an end to those annoying calls that always seem to arrive at the most inconvenient times conceivable, regrettably, this is not the case. Those calls always seem to occur at the most inconvenient periods possible." In the near future, thanks to recent developments in automated technology, robot services will soon take over these calls and messages, removing the need for human employment entirely. However, this will not result in the elimination of annoying phone calls.

In my opinion, making cold calls in an attempt to locate new consumers is already an extremely difficult task. Only in situations when the salesman can develop an instant personal connection with the prospect can cold calling be successful. That can't be written into the script. Nobody is going to strike up a conversation with a robot in the hopes of making a purchase from it. The whole concept is as ridiculous as it gets.

9. Workers on assembly lines are being replaced by robots

LottoLand: "Ever since Henry Ford pioneered the method back in 1913, moving assembly lines have been an essential component of the industrial industry. Since that time, a number of years have passed, and technological advancements have been made, making it possible for automated machines, rather than people, to do this kind of job with more precision and dependability.

My remark is that despite how cheap robots may seem to be, they are not as affordable as labor in nations that are economically stagnant and have a high population density. This is why the majority of manufacturing work is still done by people. This is especially true in the situation of forced labor, in which businesses may actually work a person to death (and replace them with another slave) for less money than it costs to operate a robot on electricity.

10. Officials to the use of video technology

The job of a referee has traditionally been one that commands a great deal of respect; however, in recent years, it has become increasingly common for players and spectators alike to question the decision of referees and place their faith, rather, in technology's ability to give more accurate results. Because this kind of technology is only going to grow more sophisticated in the coming years, it won't be long before games may be monitored without the need for referees.