An Optimist’s Take on Reskilling in the Age of AI | Sagar Goel | TED

Summary

The speaker addresses the fear of AI replacing jobs, emphasizing the importance of reskilling in an era of rapid technological change. Highlighting the Singapore government's proactive approach to digital reskilling programs, the speaker shares success stories from individuals who have transitioned into new careers. The narrative encourages a shift from skepticism to curiosity and optimism, advocating for lifelong learning as the key to embracing job evolution.

Takeaways

• 😨 The fear of AI replacing jobs is a common concern among many, including the speaker's friend who is 40 and worried about being replaced and facing age discrimination in the job market.
• 🔧 AI is transforming the workplace, with consultants like the speaker finding their work, which used to take days or weeks, now completed in hours due to AI advancements.
• 🌐 Globally, one in three workers will see their jobs significantly impacted by technology in this decade, affecting a wide range of professions, from manual labor to executive management.
• 📈 The demand for new skills like data science, cybersecurity, and clean energy is outpacing the available talent, and the half-life of skills is shrinking, necessitating continuous learning.
• 🌟 The Singapore government's proactive approach to reskilling is highlighted as a model, with nationwide initiatives that promote lifelong learning and skills development.
• 🎓 The 'Rise' program, a six-month initiative, aimed to reskill thousands of individuals for new roles in data science and digital marketing, showing the feasibility of large-scale reskilling.
• 💼 The success of the 'Rise' program is attributed to a focus on not just skill-building but also mindset and confidence, preparing individuals for new career paths.
• 🏆 Real-world application of skills through projects and hackathons with companies like Olam, Danone, and Singapore Airlines provided practical experience and recognition for the learners.
• 📊 Over 80% of the 'Rise' program's participants found jobs, demonstrating the effectiveness of reskilling in transitioning to new roles.
• 🏦 The Singapore government played a crucial role by creating a job database, incentivizing companies to hire reskilled talent, and steering academia towards continuous learning.
• 🛠️ Companies like Ikea are also embracing reskilling, transforming call center employees into interior design consultants, showing that businesses can adapt and grow with their workforce.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The speaker emphasizes the importance of individual initiative in lifelong learning, modeling this behavior to their child and encouraging a step-by-step approach to embracing change.

Q & A

What is the primary concern expressed by the speaker's friend during the coffee chat?

The primary concern is the fear of being replaced by AI, not wanting to go back to school to learn new skills at the age of 40, and the worry that employers might prefer to hire someone younger.

What impact does AI have on the speaker's profession as a consultant?

AI has significantly reduced the time it takes to create well-polished slide decks, a task that used to take days or weeks but can now be done in hours.

What percentage of the global workforce is expected to be significantly impacted by technology in the coming decade?

One in every three workers globally, which translates to more than one billion people, will find their jobs significantly impacted by technology.

What is the term used to describe the rate at which skills become outdated in the technology field?

The term used is 'half life of skills,' which indicates that in technology, half of the skills can become redundant in as little as two and a half years.

What is the proposed solution to address the skills gap caused by technological advancements?

The proposed solution is to reskill millions of people every year and transition them into new occupations using their newly acquired skills.

Can you describe the Singapore government's approach to reskilling?

The Singapore government has embraced reskilling by promoting it through skills ambassadors, gamified interactive kiosks, national news, and even integrating it into the national defense agenda.

What is the name of the six-month program launched by the speaker's company in partnership with the Singapore government?

The program is called 'Rise,' aimed at reskilling thousands of individuals for roles such as data scientists, digital product owners, and digital marketers.

How did the 'Rise' program address the challenges faced by mature learners who had been out of formal education for over 20 years?

The program focused on building not just the skill set but also the mindset and confidence of the learners, teaching them first principles problem-solving and applying their skills on real projects through hackathons.

What was the success rate of job placements for the 'Rise' program participants?

More than 80 percent of the learners from the 'Rise' program found jobs in their newly skilled areas.

How did the Singapore government support the success of reskilling programs like 'Rise'?

The government created a national job database, incentivized companies to hire reskilled talent, steered academia towards continuous learning, and successfully changed the narrative from fear to curiosity.

What example did the speaker provide of a company that successfully reskilled its employees rather than laying them off due to AI implementation?

Ikea is an example where they reskilled over 8,500 call center employees into interior design consultants after launching an AI bot named Billy to handle routine customer inquiries.

What personal initiative does the speaker take to model lifelong learning behavior to their child?

The speaker has a 'learning bank' for their six-year-old child to save money for learning new skills, such as a recent course in robotics for kids.