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Future workforce: Insights on disruption, transformation, and AI’s role

Digital transformation is upon us, and every industry and every business is part of it. Change is happening fast and many, if not all, industries are being redefined. Manufacturing, especially, has huge gains to realize from this disruption, as advanced technologies like IoT, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, mixed reality, digital twins, and blockchain empower manufacturers to improve efficiency, flexibility, and productivity through new levels of intelligence.

Of all the technologies reshaping our industry, I would say that AI plays one of the biggest roles here in terms of the disruption—and resulting opportunity—for both our industry and our workforce. AI has made large strides in recent years and is poised to open up new types of employment opportunities. The transformational possibilities of AI for manufacturers, employees and the industry-at-large are enormous.

However, as we look to a future powered by a partnership between computers and humans, it is important that we work to democratize AI for every person and every organization – something Microsoft is deeply focused on.

Two critical data points, from recent research, to establish the enormity of change:

  • Machines complete 29% of tasks today, which is expected to go up to 71% by 2025.
  • 75 million jobs to be displaced by automation and 133 million new jobs to be created between 2018-2022.

In this new paper, I share my thoughts on how the global workforce will be impacted by big disruptive forces including AI, as well as ideas around how three core groups—manufacturers, employees and the industry at large (IT companies, large enterprises, education institutions, policy makers, government, etc.)—can thrive during this massive transformation.

Download our whitepaper on The workforce of the future: Insights around disruption, transformation and the role of AI.

Twitter: @Caglayan_Arkan