The future of work: is your job safe?

Summary

The script explores the transformative impact of technology on the workforce, highlighting the rise of digital nomads and the gig economy. It delves into the potential for AI and automation to displace jobs, yet also create new opportunities. The narrative examines the challenges of job security and workers' rights, while showcasing examples of human-technology collaboration and the evolving nature of work spaces.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Technology is revolutionizing the workforce, creating new opportunities but also concerns about job displacement.
• 📉 There is a fear that up to 45% of current jobs could be lost due to advancements in technology.
• 🤝 The future of work is envisioned as a collaboration between humans and technology, rather than a replacement.
• 🌍 Digital nomads like Samantha and Justin are leveraging technology to work remotely from over 20 countries, embodying a modern and location-independent lifestyle.
• 🏖 Some countries are creating special visas to attract digital nomads, with Estonia leading the way by offering a one-year stay.
• 🏙️ The traditional office is being reinvented with communal living and coworking spaces becoming more prevalent and productive.
• 📈 The gig economy, including platforms like The Human Cloud, is growing rapidly, offering new opportunities for individuals in less developed economies.
• 🚚 Automation and AI are being integrated into industries like food production and logistics, but also raising concerns about job security.
• 🛠️ Workers in the gig economy often lack basic employment rights, leading to advocacy for better conditions and legal challenges.
• 👀 Companies are increasingly monitoring employees' work habits and communications, raising privacy and ethical concerns.
• 🤖 While there are anxieties about AI and robots taking jobs, research suggests that new technologies could create as many jobs as they displace.

Q & A

What is the workforce of the future characterized by according to the script?

The workforce of the future is characterized by technology transforming the world of work, creating groundbreaking opportunities, and the potential for a dystopian jobless future due to automation.

What is the term used to describe people who live and work in multiple countries?

People who live and work in multiple countries are referred to as 'digital nomads'.

How do digital nomads like Samantha and Justin maintain their careers while traveling?

Digital nomads like Samantha and Justin maintain their careers by utilizing advances in digital technology, which allows them to work remotely from anywhere in the world.

What challenges do digital nomads face regarding visa policies?

Digital nomads often face challenges with visa policies as they usually travel on tourist visas, which restrict them to a maximum of a few months in each country.

Why are some countries introducing special visas for digital nomads?

Some countries are introducing special visas for digital nomads to attract this new breed of global workers, recognizing their potential economic contributions.

What is the term for workers who are part of the gig economy and perform short-term freelance tasks?

Workers who perform short-term freelance tasks as part of the gig economy are often referred to as part of 'The Human Cloud'.

How has technology impacted the traditional workplace, such as the office?

Technology has led to the continual reinvention of the traditional workplace, with emerging trends like communal living and coworking spaces, which cater to a more flexible and connected work style.

What are the potential downsides of the gig economy for workers?

The potential downsides of the gig economy for workers include the lack of basic employment rights such as sick pay and job protection, as well as increased competition leading to lower earnings.

What concerns are raised about the use of surveillance technology in the workplace?

Concerns about surveillance technology in the workplace include workers' welfare, potential invasion of privacy, and the risk of misuse of collected data.

How might artificial intelligence and automation impact the job market in the future?

While artificial intelligence and automation may displace some jobs, research suggests they could also create new job opportunities, potentially leading to a net increase in employment.

What role does collaboration play between humans and technology in the future of work?

Collaboration between humans and technology is key in the future of work, with the focus on teaching people to be more adaptable in their jobs and skill sets to work alongside advancements in technology.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Digital Nomads and the Future of Work

The script introduces the concept of the 'workforce of the future' shaped by technology, with a focus on digital nomads like Samantha and Justin, who work remotely from over 20 countries. It discusses the potential for technology to displace jobs but emphasizes collaboration between humans and technology. The narrative highlights the benefits and challenges of this lifestyle, including the need for frequent relocation due to visa restrictions, and the emerging opportunities in countries like Estonia, which is offering a special visa to attract digital nomads. The segment suggests a future where work is increasingly borderless and centered around digital capabilities.

05:03

🏙️ Coworking and the Gig Economy's Impact

This paragraph delves into the evolution of the workplace, with a spotlight on communal living and coworking spaces like Roam, which fosters a professional commune atmosphere. It discusses the benefits of coworking for productivity and job satisfaction, citing a Harvard Business Review study that shows increased happiness and engagement among coworkers. The script also explores the gig economy's global impact, particularly in developing countries like Kenya, where workers like Joseph Kamau participate in the digital workforce, performing tasks for international clients. The segment touches on concerns about wage suppression and job insecurity due to the gig economy's competitive nature.

10:03

🛡️ Workers' Rights in the Gig Economy

The script addresses the lack of employment rights for gig economy workers, such as sick pay and job protection, through the perspective of Max Dewherst, a delivery cyclist and union representative. It outlines the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain's legal challenges against companies in the gig economy and the broader implications for workers' rights. The narrative also raises the issue of increased surveillance in the workplace, with companies like Humanyze using sociometric badges to monitor employee interactions and movements, sparking concerns about privacy and the potential misuse of data.

15:04

🤖 Automation Anxiety and the Human-Machine Collaboration

The final paragraph explores the fear of job displacement due to automation and artificial intelligence, with a visit to Ocado's warehouse showcasing a collaborative approach between robots and humans. It challenges the dystopian narrative by highlighting how automation can create new jobs and减轻 physical strain on workers. The script presents research suggesting that AI and machines could create as many jobs as they displace, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and ongoing skill development. The segment concludes by considering the societal and economic responses needed to harness the potential of new technologies while mitigating job insecurity.

Keywords

💡Workforce of the future

The term 'workforce of the future' refers to the evolving nature of employment and the types of jobs that will dominate as technology advances. In the video, this concept is central to the discussion on how technology is transforming traditional work, creating new opportunities and challenges. The script mentions the potential for a dystopian jobless future due to automation, yet also highlights the collaborative aspect between humans and technology, suggesting a workforce that is both technologically adept and adaptable.

💡Digital age

The 'digital age' is an era characterized by the prevalence of digital technology in everyday life. The video emphasizes the impact of the digital age on work, as it allows for the creation of groundbreaking opportunities and the rise of digital nomads. For example, Samantha and Justin are highlighted as living and working in over 20 countries, a lifestyle made possible by the digital age and its connectivity.

💡Digital nomads

Digital nomads are individuals who leverage digital technology to live and work remotely, often moving frequently. In the script, Justin and Samantha exemplify digital nomads, working for a digital creative agency and a California-based startup, respectively, while traveling the world. The concept illustrates the changing nature of work and the global, borderless opportunities the digital age presents.

💡Location independent workers

Location independent workers are professionals who can work from any location, as their work is not tied to a specific geographic location. The video discusses the challenges faced by these workers, such as visa restrictions, while also noting the efforts of countries like Estonia to attract such workers with special visas. This concept is integral to the narrative of a global workforce that is increasingly untethered from traditional office settings.

💡Coworking spaces

Coworking spaces are shared work environments where freelancers, remote workers, and other independent professionals can work. The video mentions that 2.3 million people worldwide share coworking spaces, indicating a trend towards communal and flexible working arrangements. The script also notes the positive effects on productivity and job satisfaction among coworkers, as found by the Harvard Business Review.

💡Gig economy

The 'gig economy' is a labor market characterized by short-term contracts or freelance work as opposed to permanent jobs. The video discusses the gig economy in the context of both opportunities, such as for Joseph Kamau in Kenya, and threats, as perceived by workers like Max Dewherst in the UK. The script illustrates the gig economy's impact on traditional employment models and the potential for both economic empowerment and exploitation.

💡Human Cloud

The 'Human Cloud' refers to a segment of the gig economy where remote workers perform tasks that were traditionally done by white-collar workers in wealthier countries. The video describes how jobs are broken down into individual tasks and completed by a global workforce, highlighting the industry's worth of an estimated $50 billion dollars a year. This concept represents a significant shift in how work is distributed and completed on a global scale.

💡Surveillance technology

Surveillance technology in the workplace is used to monitor and collect data on employees' activities and interactions. The video discusses the use of sociometric badges by Humanyze, which track speaking, movement, and proximity to others. While the company claims to use this data to improve productivity and work environments, the script raises concerns about privacy and the potential misuse of such detailed employee monitoring.

💡Artificial intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is the development of computer systems to perform tasks that would normally require human intelligence. The video addresses the potential of AI to displace jobs but also to create new ones, with a report estimating the creation of 133 million new jobs by 2022. The script uses the example of Ocado's warehouse, where AI collaborates with human workers to increase efficiency and job creation.

💡Automation anxiety

Automation anxiety refers to the concern that automation and AI will lead to significant job loss and economic disruption. The video mentions a wave of automation anxiety sweeping across the world, with some fearing that 45% of current jobs could disappear due to technology. However, the script also presents a counterargument, suggesting that AI and machines could create as many jobs as they displace, indicating a need for adaptability and retraining in the workforce.

💡Collaboration

Collaboration, in the context of the video, refers to the partnership between humans and technology in the workplace. The script emphasizes that the future of work is not about replacing humans with machines but about finding ways for them to work together effectively. Examples from the script include the协作 of robots and human workers at Ocado and the integration of technology in the communal living and working spaces provided by Roam.

Highlights

Technology is transforming the workforce, creating groundbreaking opportunities but also eroding workers' rights.

Some fear a dystopian jobless future due to automation, with up to 45% of current jobs potentially disappearing.

The future of work is envisioned as a collaboration between humans and technology.

Digital nomads like Samantha and Justin work remotely from over 20 countries, embodying a modern way of living.

Advances in digital technology allow for a balance between global exploration and maintaining a career.

Digital nomads face challenges such as frequent relocation due to visa restrictions.

Estonia is launching a special visa for digital nomads, potentially attracting a billion location-independent workers by 2035.

The traditional workplace is being reinvented, with communal living and coworking spaces on the rise.

Coworking spaces are linked to increased happiness, engagement, and productivity among workers.

Technology is enabling the gig economy to grow, providing opportunities for individuals like Joseph in Kibera, Kenya.

The Human Cloud segment of the gig economy is worth an estimated $50 billion annually.

The Kenyan Government is training young people for digital workforce opportunities in the gig economy.

There are concerns that the gig economy could lead to a decrease in wages and a lack of employment rights.

Surveillance technology in the workplace is raising concerns about privacy and worker welfare.

Robots and AI are integrating into industries, but the focus is on collaboration with humans rather than replacement.

Research suggests AI and automation could create as many jobs as they displace, with new opportunities arising.

The response of businesses, workers, and governments to technological disruption will shape the future of work.

Transcripts

- [Narrator] This is the workforce of the future.

Technology is transforming the world of work beyond

all recognition, creating groundbreaking opportunities.

- It's an amazing thing to be living in this digital age.

- But it's also eroding the rights of workers.

- It creates a kind of dog eat dog world.

- [Narrator] Some even fear a dystopian jobless future.

- Technology today could lead to 45%

of current jobs disappearing.

- [Narrator] But are these anxieties overblown?

- The future is about the collaboration

between humans and these technologies.

- [Narrator] How we react to this brave new world

of work today will shape societies for generations to come.

For some people work is where the Wi-Fi is.

In the past two years, Samantha and Justin

have lived and worked in more than 20 countries.

- We started this year in South America.

We lived in Peru, in Santiago, Chile, Bariloche, Argentina.

- [Samantha] Croatia,

Innsbruck, Austria, - Austria.

- [Samantha] Portugal, Italy, Norway.

- [Justin] Which was really pretty.

- [Samantha] And then we were on Reunion Island

for two months.

- [Justin] Off of Madagascar.

- Yes and when we were there everyone was, like,

"How in the world did you find this place?"

- "How did you find this place?"

- [Narrator] Nut throughout their travels,

Justin and Samantha have each been holding down a job.

He runs a digital creative agency

and she works for a California based startup.

They're a very modern carnation of a very old idea.

They're digital nomads.

- Thank you.

- [Narrator] Today, people working remotely around the globe

like this number in the millions.

- A lot of people that define themselves as digital nomads

move around very, very frequently.

But we typically move around at least once a month.

- [Narrator] The couple say the extraordinary

recent advances in digital technology

allow them to keep exploring the world

without compromising their careers.

- [Justin] We rent an apartment, we set up an office,

we're not on vacation.

We live pretty normal lives.

And so it gives us the opportunity to kind of

integrate and become locals.

And try on different flavors of life.

- [Narrator] There are down sides to this liberating

grand tour of new cultures and horizons.

Digital nomads sometimes have to be more nomadic

than they might like.

- [Samantha[ Just out of Curiosity,

I wonder what the Visa policy is.

- [Narrator] Location independent workers

as they're also known often travel on tourist Visas

and are usually restricted to a maximum

of a few months in each country.

- So, Fiji, we need to go to so that we can

get out of New Zealand before we violate their Visa policy.

- [Narrator] But some countries are going out of their way

to attract this new breed of global worker.

Estonia is about to launch a special Visa,

allowing them to stay for a year.

With other countries set to follow suit,

some predict there could be a billion

location independent workers by 2035.

For those with no ties, it all points to an increasingly

borderless brave new world of work

centered around the digital revolution.

- [Justin] And it sounds extravagant.

But we don't need much to be able to work and be productive.

If you're smart about it, I think that travel

can be a long term sustainable lifestyle.

And it's not that crazy.

- [Narrator] Of the more than 60 million Americans who work

over 50 million are employees.

They work for somebody else.

- [Narrator] In the middle of the 20th century,

many workers in the rich world,

expected a job for life in one place.

But today frequent job changes are not unusual

and 70% of professionals around the globe

do some work remotely.

These seismic changes are leading to continual reinventions

of that most traditional workplace, the office.

In San Francisco, entrepreneur Frank Boulier

is starting his daily journey to work.

- Have to move from my room, go down the stairs

to my office space.

I would say it's a dream commute, yeah.

- [Narrator] Frank's part of an emerging trend,

living and working with other people in the same place.

- When I move from one space to the other space

I switch from living to working.

- [Narrator] The space, run by a company called Roam

includes meeting rooms, relaxation areas

and even a cocktail bar.

It caters to the more exclusive end

of the global coworking market.

- You get to meet amazing people

from all across the world and I find that exciting.

The vibe is less office,

more professional commune.

And the residents are glad at the chance

for some digital detox.

- We're all tethered to our cell phones

and we're all tethered to technology

and I think that what's unique about Roam

is that it builds community and it builds

a communal living style that allows us

sort of to unplug at times.

- [Narrator] This kind of communal living might have

niche appeal right now but 2.3 million people worldwide

already share coworking spaces and there are signs

these make for more productive workers.

The Harvard Business Review found that nearly

nine out of 10 coworkers felt happier

than in their previous place of work.

And over 80% felt more engaged and motivated.

- I've never been more productive

even though I do less hours.

Would I ever go back to traditional corporate nine to five?

No.

- [Narrator] Technology is also changing how people

work and live in poorer countries.

Kibera, Kenya, Africa's largest slum.

Work here is scarce.

The average wage is less than two dollars a day.

Joseph Kamau grew up here.

- This is my first computer.

- [Narrator] Two years ago he was scraping by

as a street hawker selling food.

But today, Joseph is making a new living

as a paid up member of the global gig economy,

the labor market where self employed workers

are paid to do short term freelance tasks.

- For me, a person living here in Kibera

how would I have gotten a job for a person in America?

- [Narrator] He gets up to 10 part time jobs a week

entering data for clients based all around the world.

- It's an amazing thing to be living in this digital age.

- [Narrator] Joseph works in arguably the fastest growing

segment of the gig economy known as The Human Cloud.

Some of the jobs that used to be done

by white collar workers in wealthier countries

are now broken down into individual tasks.

These are advertised online and carried out

by remote workers scattered across the globe.

This Human Cloud industry is worth an estimated

$50 billion dollars a year.

Now the Kenyan Government is training one million

young people for this new digital workforce.

And helping them is the outsourcing firm Samasource.

- Brands have included Google, eBay and Microsoft.

- [Narrators] Freelancers here work on a range

of digital services including image tagging

for artificial intelligence.

- [Woman] We're training cars to drive themselves.

- I know, right? - Yeah, it's funny.

I don't even have a car but we are working

on projects on self driving different cars.

- [Narrator] Some fear that the flow of digital service jobs

from rich countries to poorer ones

could push down wages globally.

But for many people here the new opportunities

offer a way out of poverty.

- I mean, someone sitting in the U.S. might say

a job like this is not paying a living wage

but for us it really gives us an opportunity

to be able to bring some of these young people

into the digital age and the digital economy.

- [Narrator] Since working in The Human Cloud,

Joseph has been able to move his family out of the slum.

- I'm gonna join university next semester.

I'm gonna do computer science, my dream course.

And, yeah.

- [Narrator] In wealthier countries,

some workers see the gig economy

as less of an opportunity and more of a threat.

Max Dewherst is a delivery cyclist

for a British courier firm

who campaigns for workers' rights.

- How many jobs am I gonna do today?

Am I gonna do 18 jobs or 30 jobs?

On days when it's very slow

we're not gonna make enough money to live.

- [Narrator] Many online platforms, those intermediaries

between customers and gig workers don't cap the number

of freelances that clock on each day.

This can flood the market, ramping up competition

and slashing earnings.

- It creates a kind of dog eat dog world

and a very competitive world amongst the workforce.

- [Narrator] Some competition amongst workers

is healthy for consumers.

But Max has a more fundamental complaint,

that basic employment rights such as sick pay

and job protection are denied to most gig economy workers.

- They don't have any ability

to set the price of their labor.

They don't have any ability to negotiate with the client.

They have zero protection.

Of course people like flexibility

but that shouldn't come at the expense

of everything that's ever been fought for

for the last 200 years.

- [Man] Those people have money.

They have millions in their accounts.

- [Narrator] Max continues that fight as Vice President

of The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain.

- And I said, well, it's only impossible until we win.

- [Narrator] The union is mounting legal challenges

against large companies operating in the gig economy.

- We've taken a number of courier companies to Tribunal

from CitySprint, eCourier, Addison Lee and Excel

and now we're taking on delivery as well.

- [Narrator] To critics like Max the lack of rights

offered to workers in the gig economy by big contractors

is rapacious capitalism that will increase inequality.

- There are loads and loads of people

on these bogus contracts.

We see it more and more spreading into other sectors,

cleaning, retail, banking.

And that's very worrying.

- [Narrator] Amid heightened concerns about job security

some workers are facing new pressures

to become more efficient and productive.

But what lengths is it acceptable for companies

to go to to achieve this?

In Boston, Massachusetts workers at this firm

are being closely watched.

Their every conversation is analyzed.

Their every move monitored.

- This is our Humanyze sociometric badge.

- [Narrator] Their employer, Humanyze has designed

surveillance technology to gather data

about how they spend their time at work.

- So, it knows if I'm speaking or not speaking.

It knows if I'm moving, whether I'm walking around

or just sitting at my desk during the day.

It knows generally where I am in the office

and it also can tell my proximity

to other people wearing badges.

- [Narrator] Information from employees' emails

and calendars is integrated

with data collected by their badges.

- We have a number of sensors in them,

Bluetooth that's able to do location in the office.

Microphones look at how much I talk.

Motion sensor to look at posture, overall activity levels.

- [Narrator] The company says it uses this data

to improve the productivity of it's workers

and their work environment.

- I see interactions within my team, how many of my

teammates did I interact with in a week or a month?

The same gender or the other gender.

And I can see my dominance in conversations.

The green is my speaking time versus the blue

which is when I'm listening.

I use this data as a way

to optimize my work experience.

- [Narrator] Humanyze sells its surveillance technology

to companies around the globe.

And with more than 10,000 people

now wearing it's badges worldwide,

business is starting to boom.

- Because now we have all this quantitative data coming in,

we're able to understand at an unprecedented level.

- [Narrator] This kind of surveillance technology

is raising fears about workers' welfare

and rights to privacy.

A British report found that 70% of workers

believe workplace monitoring will become

more common in the future.

Over 60% believe it will fuel distrust and discrimination.

Humanyze says it anonymizes and aggregates data

and doesn't record the content of conversations.

But other tech companies are developing ever more

intrusive ways to monitor workforces,

including micro chipping staff and photographing them

at their desks using webcams.

- I mean, there's legitimate concerns

around this kind of data when it comes to, for example,

could your boss look at what your doing

minute by minute in the organization.

Can they look at what you're writing in emails

and things like that?

At some point someone will do the wrong thing

with this kind of data.

- [Narrator] But in the minds of many people

there's an even greater threat

to the workforce of the future.

And it comes from a new breed of worker,

one that is relentlessly efficient,

works round the clock and never complains.

Robots and artificial intelligence

are increasingly part of many industries.

Machines will soon take the wheel from truck drivers.

And companies are turning to new types of robots

for mass production of food.

- New worries about robots taking jobs.

- [Narrator] Automation is set to cause

mass disruption to working lives.

- [Reporter] As artificial intelligence

and automation grow by leaps and bounds.

- Could lead to 45% of current jobs disappearing.

- [Narrator] But how justified is this wave

of automation anxiety sweeping across the world?

Are hundreds of millions of workers

really heading for a jobless future?

In a warehouse in Southern England, the dystopian vision

of a fully automated future appears to have arrived.

This swarm of robots is packing groceries for British firm

Ocado, one of the world's most

technologically advanced online retailers.

Here, collaboration is key.

- These robots are being orchestrated

by a sophisticated piece of machine learning.

It's a bit like an air traffic control system.

They collaborate with one another, so, if a robot

wants to pick a bin that's fourth down

in a given stack of bins, it just gets three

of it's friends or colleagues to move the top three bins

out of the way and then it grabs the one it wants.

- [Narrator] But the robots here aren't working together

to replace humans, they're working with them.

The robots take containers of products to pick stations

where people put the orders together.

- I think the job is a lot less taxing on us physically.

The robots themselves are very efficient.

So, they take a lot of the grunt work out.

They're our little helpers.

- [Narrator] What's more, Ocado say these robots

have actually created more jobs at the company

than existed before.

- None of the 13,000 people that work for Ocado

would have a job, myself included,

if it wasn't for what we do with technology and automation.

As we've found new ways to automate processes,

the number of people working for Ocado

has only ever increased

because of the ongoing growth of the business.

- [Narrator] A growing body of research

suggests artificial intelligence and machines

could create at least as many jobs as they displace.

One report estimates that while 75 million jobs

will be lost globally by 2022,

there could be 133 million new ones.

- We are on a journey to go on finding ways

to add automation but it's about teaching people

to be more adaptable in terms of their jobs

and their skill sets because the future is about

the collaboration between humans and these technologies.

- [Narrator] Disruption to working lives is inevitable.

And insecurities will persist.

How bosses, workers and governments

respond to these challenges

will determine whether this new working landscape

lives up to it's enormous promise.