Leadership/Management

Here’s What Deloitte’s CEO Told her Teenage Son About Robots

There’s a vast array of opinions out there about how many human job functions will be assumed by robots—and how many new roles they’ll create.

Deloitte CEO Cathy Engelbert is an optimist, at least when challenged on the issue by her 15-year-old son.

“Mom, are robots going to take my job someday?,” he asked, according to a post by Engelbert on LinkedIn.

He’s not the only one concerned: A recent survey of people born in the 1980s and 1990s by the professional services firm found 40% saw automation posing a threat to their jobs, while 44% thought there would be less demand for their skills.

So what was Engelbert’s response: “Don’t worry—I’ve never met a machine with courage and empathy.”

“I BELIEVE THE FUTURE OF WORK MEANS COOPERATION BETWEEN HUMANS AND ROBOTS, MAKING US CO-BOTS.”

Her placating words ascribe to the commonly-held view that while artificial intelligence has advanced in leaps and bounds, humans are still miles away from creating replicate sentient beings.

To be sure, job-loss risk can largely come down to occupation. Robots will eliminate 6% jobs in the U.S. by 2021, mostly in transportation, logistics and customer service, according to a recent estimate by market research company Forester.

The big question is whether affected individuals will be able to make the transition to new occupations, via training and development. And whether enough new occupations will even exist to fill the gap.

Salesforce CEO Mark Benioff has warned of a digital “refugee” crisis if education opportunities aren’t made more abundant, though, like him, Engelbert is confident the replacement roles will be there to fill.

Jobs are made up of many tasks, so the nature of existing jobs will change and new careers will be created, Engelbert wrote. She went on to reference MIT economist David Autor, who observed that if you told a farmer in 1900 of the looming 95% reduction in farm employment, they wouldn’t have predicted we would be developing apps instead.

“I believe that the future of work means cooperation between humans and the robots. Making us, in the world of my teen, co-bots,” she said.


Ross Kelly

Ross Kelly is a London-based business journalist. He has been a staff correspondent or editor at The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo Finance and the Australian Associated Press.

Share
Published by
Ross Kelly

Recent Posts

Beyond The Buzz: How The Mid-Market Can Unlock AI Outcomes Not Hype

In today’s economy, speed wins. Insight wins. Execution wins. And the companies that can’t deliver…

2 hours ago

Doing Deals In Times Of Turbulence

Why now is the moment to act.

2 hours ago

How CEOs Are Redefining Success In Their Second Act

The University of Chicago Leadership & Society Initiative offers a bold new path—helping leaders harness…

2 hours ago

A CEO State Of Mind—In County Government

Why companies like Nokia are betting on Middlesex County, New Jersey—where smart governance meets private-sector…

3 days ago

How Kardex Remstar Is Working To Build American Automation

The warehouse automation equipment maker is investing in a strong supply chain by building production…

3 days ago

Six Questions To Bring Insight Back To Strategy

Strategy processes are getting squeezed. Answering these questions will set you up for building and…

3 days ago