The Rise of Digital: What you need to know

“We’ve networked the entire world, put computing devices in the hands of 3 billion individuals and created the largest pool in history of educated people working in economies that encourage innovation.

Over the past decade, we’ve built a global computing cloud and moved our shopping, friendships, work, entertainment and much else about life online. In this hyper-connected global market, waves of automation can get invented and deployed at warp-speed faster than at any time before.”

When I read this quote in newsweek it struck me just how much the world has changed over the last decade or so.

With two-thirds of the planet now operating online, we have reduced geographical boundaries and made us more connected than ever before.

So, what does this mean for companies and the future workforce?

YOU.

How are things changing for businesses?

Technology is allowing startups to turn traditional industries on their head. With the barriers to entry significantly reduced within existing markets made possible by online platforms, it is becoming the norm for relatively unknown companies to come in, introduce innovative products and services and completely disrupt their market.

Companies are now able to harness the power of digital and fast-track their business by leveraging the internet via social media, apps & automation. This is creating all new consumer behaviour, as people want the best service that is easier, faster and cheaper than any other.

Take companies like Uber, Spotify and Airbnb for example. They have disrupted their industries in a relatively short period of time when we compare it to the traditional pace of product innovation. They have leveraged digital platforms and simply connect people with products faster and cheaper than ever before.

Gone are the days of purchasing individual albums, overpriced hotel rooms and expensive inner-city taxi rides. Digital systems are transforming everything.

Scalability is now achievable at a much faster rate and organisations can continue to iterate their services to ensure they keep up with the needs of the consumer through state of the analytics and customer relationship management systems.

How has this affected you?

This connectivity has enriched our computational thinking and is leading towards what is known as the ‘4th industrial revolution.’ Artificial Intelligence (AI), Automation and Robotics is now the next generation of tech, and this wave of technology is already in full-swing.

Oxford university economists Dr Carl Frey and Dr Michael Osborne have predicted that 40% of jobs will be lost to automation and AI by 2050. Today, we are already seeing changes to our workforce and the jobs that are being lost today.

Now more than ever, it is crucial for the future workforce to upskill themselves and make sure they are prepared for what the future holds.

Why does this change matter to you? The Future Workforce.

With the world moving at warp-speed, both companies and the future workforce are having to make sure they are ahead of the curve so they can take advantage of the next ‘big thing,’ from the latest technical innovations in Artificial intelligence to the most contemporary digital strategies in automation.

Staying relevant and up to date is now the name of the game.

So, with all of this digital disruption taking place, what does it mean for you, the future workforce? How can these technological advancements impact your working life?

It’s more important than ever to make sure you have the latest skills to bring into the workplace. Whether you have a full time job, or you’re developing your skills in the hope of one in the future, you need to be prepared for whatever technological advancements are taking place that could affect your job.

The future of work will soon become “the survival of the most adaptable”, says Paul Mason of Innovate UK.

With the dawn of the Artificial Intelligence boom and Automation waiting in the midst to reduce the need for employees, these new technologies will completely change the way we operate.

Signs of this are already emerging today with the ‘rise of the polymath’ — people that take on multiple careers throughout their lifetime.

It’s possible that you, the employee of the future, will need to consistently keep up-to-date with technological advances — as jobs will continue to dwindle as they are replaced by AI and automation.

The idea of having a job your entire life is now officially dead. It will be down to the individual to make sure they don’t fall down the pecking order and find a way to develop new marketable skills.

Don’t be Scared, Change creates opportunities!

“Economists have shown time and again that automation helps overall standards of living rise, literacy rates improve, average life span lengthen and crime rates fall. After waves of automation — the Industrial Revolution, mechanization, computerization — we’re way better off in almost every way.”

Keep an eye out for our next blog where we’ll be investigating why you need to embrace the future of work NOW.

Stay tuned!

Don’t forget to follow Freeformers on social media.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube.

More about the author: Anthony Adeloye