The Year of Robot Recruiters

Translated by Nina Fink, Isabelle Maradan Publié le
Much can change in ten years. Are we ready for the future? Educpros talks with two French researchers about the working world of 2025, from hiring practices to new lines of work. Both agree that artificial intelligence and robotics will have a profound impact on the job market. One thing is for sure: French colleges and universities have a lot of catching up to do.

The Job Market in 2025

For surgeon and Doctissimo cofounder Laurent Alexandre, France's educational system was designed with the job market of the 1990s in mind.

How will biotechnology affect hiring practices?

Nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology and cognitive science (NBIC) will improve the way we hire. Brain scanning will allow us to study applicants' behavior and certain companies may use DNA sequencing to compare candidates.

We are entering uncharted territory. Server power will increase one million-fold by 2035. Artificial intelligence will grow one billion times more powerful by 2045. It's exponential. Robots will surpass most humans.

What changes will we see in the next 15-20 years?

Around 2030-2035, it will become illegal for humans to drive cars. Google's self-driving car will run 24 hours, 7 days a week. Users will use Uber to locate the nearest available vehicle. We will be able to manage traffic jams and reduce pollution. Driverless cars are the next step.

Surgery is no different. With computing power growing by a factor of one thousand every decade, autonomous robots will have completely replaced surgeons by 2030. In 20 years, half of today's trades will have disappeared.

How can schools help students adapt?

The French educational system still doesn't provide enough technology training. American colleges and universities do a better job of looking toward the future. It is no coincidence that Google and Amazon were founded in the United States.

Priority should be given to cultural knowledge and ethics. While jobs requiring legal knowledge can essentially be automated, those based on ethics cannot. Only the brightest, most creative, most flexible individuals will succeed. The world will be very Darwinian. Young people will have to fend for themselves. In the future, most training will be self-directed. A good MOOC will be worth more than an outdated academic program. The real question of the 21st century is: What do you do with people who are ill adapted to the world of robotics and artificial intelligence?

Read the article (in French)

Robots in the Workforce in 2025

According to Raja Chatila, Director of the Institute for Intelligent Systems and Robotics (ISIR), robots will help humans to develop, not replace them. For Chatila, universities have fallen behind the times.

Robotics has already revolutionized surgery by making operations safer, less invasive and more precise. Will other workers follow the example of surgeons and collaborate with robots?

Robotics is transforming medical science. We are currently working on technology that will allow surgeons to feel what the robot is feeling. Robots can also reach places humans can't reach and lift weights humans can't lift.

When drones take jobs away from delivery drivers, can you really call that collaboration?

Currently, drones are used to deliver goods to inaccessible places. It is true that they could make deliveries to all kinds of places in the future, even accessible ones. Contrary to popular belief, robotics has created tens of millions of new net jobs. However, these jobs require technological expertise rather than manual labor.

In 2025, will robots interview job applicants?

Are we going to rely on software to hire candidates? No. That said, we could use it to select applications. Telepresence robots could act as physical stand-ins for recruiters. We are trying to improve these robots' interactive abilities by studying indicators like posture and tone of voice. Emotion sensors could allow them to perceive things that humans might not notice.

Telepresence robots could also facilitate telecommuting. You could attend a meeting in Tokyo in the morning and a meeting in Chicago in the afternoon without ever leaving your desk. Renowned professors of medicine could speak at multiple conferences in a single day. Just imagine the possibilities for teaching foreign languages!

Evolution or revolution?

When PCs crept into our offices and homes, it didn't feel like a revolution. The Internet has become a familiar tool. Now that is truly revolutionary!

Read the article (in French)

Translated by Nina Fink, Isabelle Maradan | Publié le