C4 announces global first in Artificial Intelligence TV advertising trial
This beautifully animated video is by Kurzgesagt who specialise in breaking down complex concepts into easy to consume ‘in a nutshell’ content. In this video they have done a ton of research and summarised the complicated subject of Machine Learning and Automation into something that is just over 10 minutes long.
Throughout history, innovation has usually meant improved productivity and the removal of old jobs that are then replaced with new, often better jobs. For instance, in the industrial revolution, a large proportion of agriculture jobs were taken away and replaced with production jobs. And as automation became more widespread, the service industry was the new focus. However, we have now entered the Information age and the rules have changed. Human jobs are being taken over much faster than ever before and even the internet has not created enough jobs to cover those that are being taken away.
The main take away for me is that the world’s population is increasing and the number of jobs available to humans are decreasing, and if we don’t act fast we will find ourselves in a predicament. There is potential for an even bigger wealth gap with mass unemployment for a huge percentage of the population and the super-rich owning the machines that have taken jobs that were previously open to humans. In fact, it is thought that 47% of US jobs are in what is called the ‘high-risk’ category- i.e. jobs that it is predicted will be automated soon, potentially over the next decade or two.
To get ahead of this trend, we will need to push those from low-skill jobs that are susceptible to computerisation into fields that require more creative and social intelligence that computers struggle to replicate. Another suggested alternative is to introduce a universal basic income that has the potential to support those that don’t have jobs and ensure no one lives below the poverty line. Humans will have to move quickly on both to ensure we can still win the race…
Finally, here are some of the jobs with the highest and lowest probability of being automated:
Most Computerisable
| Occupation | Probability |
| Telemarketers | 0.99 |
| Insurance Underwriters | 0.99 |
| Watch Repairers | 0.99 |
| Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials | 0.98 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 0.98 |
| Models | 0.98 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 0.94 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 0.94 |
| Retail Salespersons | 0.92 |
| Taxi Drivers and Chauffeurs | 0.89 |
| Construction Laborers | 0.88 |
| Nuclear Technicians | 0.85 |
| Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers | 0.84 |
Least Computerisable
| Occupation | Probability |
| Recreational Therapists | 0.0028 |
| Healthcare Social Workers | 0.0035 |
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 0.0039 |
| Physicians and Surgeons | 0.0042 |
| Psychologists, All Other | 0.0043 |
| Elementary School Teachers | 0.0044 |
| Set and Exhibit Designers | 0.0055 |
| Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance | 0.01 |
| Engineers, All Other | 0.014 |
| Photographers | 0.021 |
| Interior Designers | 0.022 |
| Lawyers | 0.035 |
| Advertising and Promotions Managers | 0.039 |
For the full list of 702 occupations and their probability of becoming computerised, check out the final pages of the academic paper from the University of Oxford here.