Ask HN: What job categories will be next to go? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: What job categories will be next to go?

5 pointssgt10110 comments

Jaron Lanier has commented on this in a recent interview, but I would like to ask people here for their opinion on what is next. As JL says we've seen translation, sectors of the music industry and journalism eaten up by the internet, what's next?

Teaching seems to be in everyone's crosshairs, IBM think customer service can be automated with Watson... what is your opinion?

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As a teacher (14+ years) and a tech guy (20+ years)I have researched for a long time the idea that teachers could go away. But students always seem to need the 'human' touch. It's irrational and against all logic, but I feel there will always be a teacher. Sometimes that teacher may reach a million students (udacity et al) or just one pupil (Yoda/mentor). I am now trying to find the best way to augment teachers...

Agreed, we will always need teachers in some form. Also governments have so much invested in teachers that it will be a long process before the category is eroded.

When self driving cars become ubiquitous over the next decade, we will see the end of taxi, bus, truck, and limo drivers, parking lot attendants, and valets.

"Self-flying planes" have become ubiquitous for a long time and we are still seeing pilots in every plane!

Autopilot is still limited, and pilots still have to takeoff and land manually, and intervene in the event of turbulence, etc. As AI improves, we'll see a completely automated flight eventually.

One afternoon last fall at Fort Benning, Ga., two model-size planes took off, climbed to 800 and 1,000 feet, and began criss-crossing the military base in search of an orange, green and blue tarp.

The automated, unpiloted planes worked on their own, with no human guidance, no hand on any control.

http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2011-09-19/national/35273...

"pilots still have to takeoff and land manually"

Do they? I remember a landing 15 years ago or so where the pilot announced "there's fog, so we had to land on automatic" (that was fog as in 'looking down onto a cloud deck, while taxiing')

The entertainment industry (music, games and movies) still does 2/3rds of it's business from physical media so I'd say it will be okay in the shortterm future.

VCs? Angels?

How come?

Retail sales people

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