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Robot revolution: Young entrepreneurs fear AI is going to take their jobs

It is becoming quite clear that there are no industries, sectors or job roles that are going to remain entirely unaffected by the coming artificial intelligence-fuelled automation revolution.

From white collar to blue collar, shop floor to C-suite and everything in between, innovations in robotics and AI are set to fundamentally change the way we work and the way we look at work in general.

While some of the job roles set to be threatened, such as manual industrial work or menial paperwork, are easy targets due to their relative simplicity, more nebulous and freewheeling roles such as that of the entrepreneur seem far more secure. But are they really?

A new study from Young Enterprise, the not-for-profit enterprise education charity, has found that even young entrepreneurs are now looking on warily at developments in AI and robotics who are fearful about the impact on job prospects.

In a survey of 200 finalists in its ‘Company Programme’, the charity found that 76% said they believed there would be fewer jobs available over the coming decades due to the adoption of robots in the workplace.

Furthermore, nearly half (47%) registered concern at the prospect of robots making up a sizeable proportion of the UK’s workforce with only 18% saying they were comfortable with the idea.

Michael Mercieca, Chief Executive, Young Enterprise seized on the figures is evidence that more needs to be done to educate the next generation about the potential impact of automation on job prospects and the world of work.

He said: “The rise of the robots will have a devastating impact on job prospects for young people who have not been equipped with basic work skills.

“It’s time to wake up and recognise education must extend beyond academia and properly prepare the next generation for the world of work with skills like communication, teamwork and creativity.”

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