Will you or your job be replaced by a robot, an algorithm, or some other type of automation technology?
Of course it will!
The question should really be 'When?' not 'If?'
But for something fun to on a Friday, head over to the NPR Planet Money site and take spin on their interactive tool that uses data from a University of Oxford study entitled “The Future of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to Computerization?”, and lets you see just how likely your job will be automated away in the near future.
Here is what the tool says about 'Cashiers', one of the most likely jobs to disappear in the next 20 years or so.
As you can tell from the charts, the likelihood of a given job becoming the domain of robots is influenced by four factors: the need to conjure up clever ideas and solutions, the amount of social interaction needed in the job, the space the job requires (robots are still not great at navigating tight spaces), and the negotiation skills needed.
Luckily for many of us, jobs that fall in the 'management' domain still seem (reasonably) safe for now.
Go have some fun on a Friday, and check out your own odds and see if you should be considering a career move (before it's too late).
Have a great weekend!