• Question: what do u think will happen in us kids lives in the future ??

    Asked by anon-204393 to David on 8 Mar 2019.
    • Photo: David Chadwick

      David Chadwick answered on 8 Mar 2019:


      I think that robots and artificial intelligence programs will continue to slowly take over jobs that are currently being done by humans. For example, in the UK the number of people employed in manufacturing cars fell from 502,000 in 1971 to 162,000 in 2017. So it is clear to me that most kids today will not be doing the same jobs when they are 60 years old as when they are 20 years old, and most probably when they are 20 will not be doing the same jobs that their parents do. So lesson number one is that things are continually changing, and the rate of change is actually increasing, not slowing down. Consequently it is very hard to predict the future. However….
      The one advantage humans have over computers is that we are very flexible and quick to learn new skills. So you must take full advantage of your education today, and be prepared to never stop learning. I am continually learning new things and have done all my life. I need to do this because computer science is evolving rapidly.
      But work is not the only place where I am learning new things. 2 years ago I started to learn Spanish, using Duolingo and Babbel on my mobile phone. I also joined a choir and re-learned how to read music. So lesson number two is, don’t stop learning new stuff.

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