Man vs. Machine
How Emotional Intelligence will be Job Security in the Future Economy
The shift towards using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in the workplace is happening quickly. McKinsey Global Institute predicts that as technology becomes more sophisticated, the demand for higher cognitive skills such as creativity, critical thinking, and decision-making will grow.1
As technology advances, AI has begun to take over tasks associated with highly-skilled professions such as those of doctors, teachers, financial advisors, stockbrokers, and business consultants. Artificial intelligence and machine learning enhance many professions rather than replace them. Machines, for example, can conduct imaging diagnostics for doctors because they have high accuracy rates and are able to process thousands of images at a great speed. To succeed in a changing world of work, we must understand the importance of emotional intelligence and how it complements new technological advancements.
Emotional intelligence involves the ability to recognize, understand and control one’s own emotions; it also involves an ability to recognize, understand, and influence the emotions of others. Individuals who will be successful in the future workforce are those who can interact with, motivate and assess people—abilities that machines have only just begun to replicate.
What are machines capable of, and how can we increase our emotional intelligence? In a 2017 article for the Harvard Business Review, Megan Beck and Barry Libert discuss the extent of machine capabilities. They argue that many skilled jobs follow the same general workflow:
Exhibit 1: Many skilled jobs follow the same general workflow:
Source: Harvard Business Review
There are three tasks associated with highly skilled labor. AI and machine learning will be able to take over the first two capabilities, but the ability to help clients navigate a course of action will be an important skill for people to develop. Fatemi, writing for Forbes magazine, recommends that we embrace the changes that artificial intelligence will bring, but that we should also invest in developing our emotional intelligence. Lifelong learning is an important way for individuals to expand their skill set, and to learn new abilities that will make them relevant in the workforce of the future.
Source: Harvard Business Review
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Resources
- Roy Abernathy, Smart Compression: A Revolution in Space Planning (2018). Available at: http://www.ngkfgcs.com/Blog/April-2018/Smart-Compression-A-Revolution-in-Space-Planning
- Vodafone (2016). Flexible: Friend or Foe? Survey by Vodafone. February 8, 2016. Available at: https://www.vodafone.com/content/index/media/vodafone-group-releases/2016/flexible-working-survey.html. [Accessed: November 20, 2018].
- Saracen Interiors (2018). 43% of Office Workers Reject Job Offers Due to Uninspiring Offices November 13, 2018. Available at: https://www.saraceninteriors.com/blog/modern-offices-and-recruitment/. [Accessed: November 21, 2018].
