Workers Must Take Control of Their Own Future

by Cubie Davis King
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Today’s workers are caught between a rock and a hard place. What do they do when they see the world of work changing at a frightening pace due to artificial intelligence, robots and machines, yet the organizations where they currently work is doing very little to inform, educated or prepare workers for the future.

The answer is to take matters into your own hands. If the organization where you currently work is not upskilling its workforce for the future, then your job may be in jeopardy.

Don’t wait any longer. Like a child, get aggressive with educating yourself and conduct your own research. Find out what skill sets will be in high demand in the future, and what training classes are required. Get to those classes and courses.

Next, find companies and organizations that are hard at work preparing their workforces for the future, go to their websites and social media pages and find out the direction they are heading in.

If it matches your future workplace desires, then prepare yourself accordingly. The one word I would use to describe what your actions should be at this point it is -aggressive. Get aggressive and get aggressive now.

The workplace is changing faster than most workers realize. Be one of the smart ones- prepare yourself now. There is an old wise saying-

“Dig the well long before you thirst.”

The 4^th Industrial revolution will have many job lost casualties, but you don’t have to be one of them.

Reinvent Yourself Now!

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Retailers Are Moving Fast With AI

By Dr. Cubie Davis King

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So, what can we learn from the retail industry?

The retail industry is investing in AI technology at a rate that far outpaces all other industries. As reported at this year’s National Retail Federation’s Big Show in New York, in 2018 alone, retailers invested an estimated $3.4 billion in artificial intelligence (this according to International Data Corporation-IDC).

The list of retailers moving with a quickened pace reads like a who’s who list of movers and shakers in the industry. Retailers such Kroger (the largest supermarket chain in the US), Walgreens, Nestle’, MillerCoors, Conagra Brands, Ralph Lauren, Guess, even Alibaba. The AI technology being tested is absolutely fascinating.

Kroger is testing an app using AI algorithms which will allow shoppers to make a shopping list (from their phone) of items they want to pick up at the store and, as they walk down various aisles, that item is synced with AI technology and lights up to remind them to purchase that item, along with pairing recommendations. They are also investing heavily in driverless cars technology, which will eliminate the need for drivers.

Ralph Lauren is testing smart mirror at their Manhattan store, which syncs with Bluetooth low-energy chips, embedded in clothing, which recognizes the size of an item shoppers bring into the fitting room, and then displays to them, right on the mirror other sizes and available colors- right in the dressing rooms.

Walgreens is testing smart displays that embeds cameras, sensors and digital screens in cooler doors. They work like billboards, and will display ads to approaching shoppers. Using facial recognition, these ads will flash sales items- based on the shopper’s estimated age, gender, even the weather outside.

So, the speed at which retailers are moving should cause every workers to pause and consider how they are upskilling to work in the new AI driven workplace.

At the company you are currently working, are they talking about AI upskilling? Are there serious conversations about how workers survive the 4^th Industrial Revolution driven by AI, robots and machines? How much money are you investing in updating your own skillsets?

For every billion dollars your industry invests in AI each year, you should be investing at a minimum $1,000 each year to update your own skills. Enroll in new courses, learn some new skills, even sharpen and update those skills you already have.

Don’t just sit and do nothing. Get moving, because companies and AI technology is not waiting for you.

By 2030, 41 million Americans will lose their jobs to AI. And for those remaining on jobs, you will face new challenges brought on by robot technology, the likes of which we have never seen before. A fact we all should take very seriously.

Reinvent Yourself Now! The highly engaging new e-book by Dr. King Download it now!

41 Million Jobs Lost by 2030

by Cubie Davis King, PhD.

“We stand on the brink of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another. Its scale, scope, and complexity…will be unlike anything humankind has ever experienced before.”

Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum

The workplace, as we’ve known it is about to change, and change rapidly.

What is causing these rapid changes? The rise of artificial intelligence, robots, and machines. From sea to shining sea, these changes will be felt globally.

I know. Most people would rather hear only good news, because we are wired this way. And often the bearer of bad news gets hated on.

However, be it as it may, these are not normal times, and everyone punching a clock should pay close attention to what is happening in today’s job market.

The entire workplace platform has already shifted, and most workers haven’t even noticed. Here are statistics every worker and every organization should familiarize themselves with.

A recent *study of Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) from 371 leading global employers, representing 13 million employees, across 9 industry sectors, in 15 major developed and emerging economies (this was a huge study). The study found:

1. Artificial intelligence, robots and machines will eliminate jobs at a much faster pace beginning as soon as 2020. The study revealed that five million jobs will be lost by 2020, and another 36 million by 2030. These are sobering numbers.

2. Today, only 42% of companies rely solely on salaried (or permanent) employees. The very idea of permanency for employees is on a downward trajectory, and there is every indication from CHROs that this trend will continue well into the future.

3. These CHROs expect gig workers to grow by 28% over the next year.

4. They expect free-lance workers to grow by 33% over the next year.

5. They expect contract workers to grow by 37% over the next year.

This new ecosystem, being put in play by leader organization around the world, is the new normal. The reason? The speed at which technology is pushing new products and services to market requires, even demands, that companies now have flexible and nimble workforces, equipped with up-to-date skills- at all times.

This new ecosystem platform allows companies to compete on a globally and thus, stay in business. It’s no longer a matter of whether companies want to operate like this, it’s now imperative that they operate like this .

Additionally, here are two new statistics that should get the attention of human resources departments. According to the Brookings Institute- of Millennials and Generation Z (workers currently 18-35 years old):

1. 75% plan to start their own businesses (they will profit from their own talents- causing global talent pools to shrink significantly).

2. Only 25% believe that an invention they create belong to the company. (they will profit from their own inventions)

This is a major sea change from the Baby Boomer generation (which until now, provided the largest workforce for employers). This new generation of ecosystem workers will alter the course of every company on the planet.

Question: What is your organization currently doing to learn about, address, and embrace the new workplace ecosystem? Are your people reinventing themselves for the future?

Dr. Cubie King is author of the new book Reinvent Yourself- Now! A must read on how employers and employees alike should prepare for the 4th Industrial Revolution that will be powered by artificial intelligence, robots, and machines.

We welcome your comments and feedback.