The Future of Work; 85 Million Jobs to be Lost By 2025 as Machines Replace Human Labor

Automation is the use of technology to perform tasks with minimal human inputs in various fields such as business, industries and IT. The whole idea is about digitizing work by using automation to streamline and centralize tasks. Advantages that come with new automation include higher production rates, more efficiency, better product quality and also safety. However, this poses a threat to many jobs worldwide since the use of automated machines such as robots means that little human labor will be required.

Since the start of the industrial revolution workers such as clericals have always feared that they will be replaced by machines. The most advanced automation is artificial intelligence with technologies such as Siri. 

The World Economic Forum's report predicts that AI will replace about 85 million jobs globally by 2025 however the same reports show that AI may create 97 million new jobs but this will require more advanced skills to operate hence cutting across very few people who will benefit from them. 

In Kenya, technology is slowly firming its roots. Being a third-world country, we are still lagging behind in the use of technology due to a lack of proper knowledge and support in adopting the new advances.

But there are still various attempts that have been made in businesses such as mobile banking, therefore this means that people are able to do transactions at the comfort of their homes rather than flooding to the banks to get the services.

New automation is set to replace human labour in industries since automation is more competent, easier and faster as compared to human labour therefore could really increase production while decreasing the cost of production such as minimizing salaries and wages for human labour. For example, the presence of self-driving cars could mean that drivers are at risk of losing their jobs.

New automation could lead to high unemployment and inequalities since only people with advanced technology skills to operate on those software systems will survive in this digital era.

The government should embrace this new advance by coming up with strategies to help Kenyans adapt to the new systems by providing educational facilities to help people gain knowledge.

This will guarantee that when the new automation takes over, human labour will be on the safer side and people will not end up jobless. The government should set aside funds to adopt, prompt and improve those technologies in Kenya.