What Professions Will Disappear in the Near Future?

Depending on who you ask, it appears that all the films produced around the concept of artificial intelligence (AI) taking over might not have been so outlandish after all. It could be decades away, but it is coming. The world is changing rapidly, and with advancing technology, many professions are becoming obsolete. As a result, many jobs that used to exist will no longer be necessary soon. 

Heck, in the early 2000s, no one thought online casinos would go mainstream by the end of the decade. Back then, it was just a lingering idea that seemed so hyperbolic, but today, millions of gamblers flock to casinos online platforms to have a taste of their favorite games. So, that said, plenty of land-based casino prospects might have been crushed by iGaming, an eventuality that was brought to light, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic period.

Therefore, artificial Intelligence (AI), which is currently in its early stages, will revolutionize various sectors and industries as it can automate processes and tasks previously performed by humans. The said evolution is already causing a domino effect that risks the obsolescence of several professions in the next few years. With AI taking over some jobs, the labor market needs to stay updated on new technologies and skills to remain competitive. As Charles Darwin proved, if we don’t adapt to our environments — we will die!

What Careers are in the Imminent Danger of Obsolescence?

The subject of technology and AI is continuously evolving and will be a significant part of the future. Many people are curious about what these changes will have on their careers, but from the look of things, we can already tell the roles will be affected by technological advancements. Some of the professions that are already on the decline due to technological evolution include:

Data Entry Clerks

Software developers have created many different tools that have the capacity to handle tons of data entry tasks in a matter of minutes. In the past, you would need to hire someone to manually enter data into a computer program for manipulation. Initially, only simple forms could be filled by software tools, but today, computer programs can automatically extract data from a website and fill it in their appropriate sheets.

Travel Agents

Now that you can easily book your travel requirements online through hundreds of websites, there leaves very little room for human travel agents. For example, you can now book your airline ticket and pay for it in full online. Likewise, the process of booking a hotel room, transport, and even your restaurant reservation, can all be done online. Hence the obsoletion of the travel agent profession.

Librarians

Being a librarian was once an upstanding profession as one needed to go to a library to access information physically. However, today all the information you might need is available online, and this is quickly leading to the shutdown of libraries all over the world. Librarians will thus not have anywhere to work with the continuous developments of the internet.

Typists

Technology has led to significant advancements in translation and transcribing software. Typists will no longer be needed as this technology continues to learn how to rapidly improve dictation. In addition, AI is learning our accents, inflections, tones, and languages and can even transcribe colloquialisms from different parts of the world.

Other Dying Professions

Besides the four professions above, the other careers that are taking a hit from evolving technology include:

• Door-to-Door Salespeople – Social Media Marketing will take over most forms of marketing soon.  
• Bookkeepers – Several computer programs can do this more accurately, efficiently, and faster than a human being.
• Bank Tellers – Upcoming technology for online banking and ATMs will make this profession obsolete in the coming years.

Diversify Your Skills to Stay Marketable

The dying professions we’ve discussed above are not exhaustive. That’s because getting replaced by technology is a matter of the level of human interaction needed to operate within a profession and the difficulty in executing the expected results. If a computer program can be developed to perform the required functions, it is likely to perform better. In most cases, it will be more affordable, making the human aspect obsolete in that profession. 

Therefore, you must stay updated on current developments to be ahead of the curve in your profession. For example, you should take it upon yourself to acquire new skills currently in demand in the job market. That way, you will always have a few tricks up your sleeve that can keep your employment prospects high.