Where will you stand when the robots take over? Will you rise up and form a ragtag band of rebels? Will you hide away in a secluded fortress — or your basement? Or will you, for one, welcome our new overclocked overlords?
Regardless of your stance on the automated apocalypse, it's good to be prepared. Much of that preparation lies in securing a career that is robot-proof. In other words, you want to find a job that can't be easily automated by the newest (self-aware) version of Windows. If you've paid attention to Isaac Asimov's infamous Three Laws of Robotics, you'll know that a science-fictional world of mechanized takeover would assure that robots can't harm or disobey us, so public safety and manufacturing would probably be the first jobs to go. But where do you start if you wantapocalyptic job security?
Luckily, we've compiled a list of eight of our favorite jobs that can't be replaced by bots.
1. Psychiatrist/counselorNothing can better relate to the human psyche and emotional feelings than another human. While it wouldn't be difficult to throw together a program that said "Tell me more about your feelings" every few minutes, true human empathy is something that can't be replaced by robots, no matter how hard scientists try. Plus, we imagine there would be quite a demand for some type of emotional counseling if "The Jetsons" came true.
2. Midwife
While much of an obstetrician's job might be bot-able, a midwife does things with more of a personal connection. Besides, I don't think anyone wants cold robot hands delivering their baby.
3. General practitioner
The general practitioner makes a diagnosis based on much more than textbook logic, which can easily be programmed into an artificially intelligent bot. Surgeons and more specialized doctors might easily be replaced or improved by the use of robotic technology, as precision is key. But as humans, we want someone to talk to about our medical issues. This makes the family doctor your entry point for most medical situations, and in some small-town cases, he or she might even know you and your family personally.
4. Organic farmer
Although large-scale, single-crop agriculture has largely been automated, correctly caring for plants and animals isn't something that can be programmed into a robot. The world is getting away from factory farming and realizing the benefits oforganic food and sustainable farming practices. While robots could run on any number of energy sources, we'll still run on good old-fashioned farm food. Hopefully.
5. WriterMathematicians can keep their infinite monkey theorem, because you can't program creative writing. A recent scientific journal reported that robot journalists are a real possibility to efficiently and quickly report on news based on key words, but writing fiction, poetry, and other forms of creative writing take real human experience and savvy.
6. Artist
Programming a robot to copy a work of art brushstroke by brushstroke isn't difficult, and there's a robotic artist out there that can use edge detection to sketch a person's face. But it takes human creativity and imagination to actually define art styles.
7. Daycare worker
Going hand-in-hand with the human empathy needed in a counselor, we would need more than a sentry bot to guard over our children while we're off working one of these robot-proof jobs. Children learn by example, so any job that involves child-rearing would be best left to us fleshies.
8. Robotic engineer
This choice is obvious — someone has to create all of those robots! Whether it be programming, mechanical design, or simply maintenance, robots are nothing without us.
Preparing for our robot overlords
Although most of this article is written with tongue planted firmly in cheek, we'd like to think that we're doing a service by preparing you for the future. And for those of you already employed in one of these fields, you have nothing to fear. Unless, of course, it's the aliens that take over instead.
Read more at http://www.tecca.com/columns/robot-proof-jobs/#Vk3EdBOHPR8z03YZ.99
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