The cycles of each stage are shorter and shorter. 120, 80, 50, 22 years…

Following this trend, the duration of the 5th revolution should be less than 22 years. In a way, it makes sense, as AI is poised to change everything in about 15 years. If these assumptions are true, the only question is what comes next? What happens after 2040?

Looking a bit more into the future, quantum computing will most likely change everything, again. But how long will the 6th industrial revolution last? About 10 years only? We should be really excited about what will follow in 2050 then…

But let’s go back to the present day, the very dawn of the 5th industrial revolution. All previous industrial revolutions meant progress by increasing productivity in factories. The so-called blue collar workers, performing easy and repetitive tasks, were replaced by machines. AI technology means progress by replacing more complex tasks which require more advanced human capabilities such as: understanding, reasoning, planning, communication, perception. The 5th industrial revolution will largely replace the so-called white collar workers. How this will happen exactly, and what time-line we are looking at, will be covered later in our series.

Progress means that inevitably the jobs which require the 5 capabilities mentioned above will be eventually lost to automation. Are schools still preparing students for soon-to-be-obsolete jobs? Later down the road in our series called “AI in education” we will also focus on how students can prevent preparing themselves for jobs which are very likely to be lost to automation. Knowing this will reduce the need for professional reconversion later in life and will avoid various emotional situations associated with unemployment.

Next, we will focus on how and when AI will actually replace the white collar workers.