New report reveals '100 jobs of the future'

Cyborg psychologist, robot mechanic, algorithm interpreter, shadowtech manager — they sound like something out of science fiction but, according to a new report, these are the jobs of the future.

On 23 July, Ford Australia, Griffith University and Deakin University released their ‘100 Jobs of the Future’ report — complete with potential job titles, descriptions and required skills. They also created a quiz to help people find a role that matched their skills and interests — and maybe even narrow down answers to that ever bothersome question: “what do you want to be when you grow up?”

Potential jobs include a robot ethicist, a de-extinction geneticist, a data waste recycler, a space tourism operator, a virtual assistant personality designer and an autonomous vehicle profile designer.

To see what the future of work would look like, the researchers analysed existing work futures literature and interviewed experts from industries they consider critical to future work, including health, agriculture, engineering and materials sciences, transport and mobility, computing, artificial intelligence (AI), commerce and education.

They found that technological advances, data democratisation, climate change, globalisation, population pressures and changing demographic profiles influenced jobs in all sectors.

Creative and social intelligence, manual dexterity, problem-solving, creativity and entrepreneurial and interpersonal skills are likely to be essential to the future of work, while adaptability, high learning capacity and the ability to be strategic about learning are said to be key for workplace success.

Deakin University Professor and Chair of Science Education Russel Tytler added, “People will need to work with machines in new ways, rather than compete with them for jobs — this will be the way to keep pace with the changing economy.”

So what is a cyborg psychologist, algorithm interpreter or shadowtech manager?

According to the report, a cyborg psychologist will help people with synthetic organs, robotic limbs and body implants come to terms with living as cyborgs. They will also help people who suffer from digital addictions and compulsions or who have trouble distinguishing between the physical and virtual world.

An algorithm interpreter will help people understand how algorithms work and why an AI made certain decisions.

Finally, a shadowtech manager is set to manage technology used by employees that is not officially endorsed by their organisation to combat compatibility challenges, data backup issues and security breaches. The report adds that “because everyone in the future will have their own virtual personal assistant, biological digital implants and support robots, it is inevitable that people will be using technology that isn’t endorsed”.

The report can be viewed on the 100 Jobs of the Future website.