For the last 50 years computer automation and other IT technologies have replaced many jobs. Most of the jobs were low value-added positions. In the next 50 years many jobs that required a college education will be replaced by the same computing technology applied in new areas.
This story from Wired, "Can an Algorithm Write a Better News Story Than a Human Reporter?", illustrates the point. Narrative Science, a company based on AI technology developed at Northwestern University, is developing high quality news stories without reporters. Can lawyers or accountants be far behind.
We can argue about the pace of this trend and what jobs will be replaced, but students should be considering fields that cannot be duplicated or replaced by AI. Should I mention entrepreneurship?
The last post on Narrative Science eleven months ago is here.