Machines thankfully free humans from doing the repetitive jobs

The relentless focus on technology and engineering overlooks our innate humanity, and our own value-add.

Machines have and will continue to replace menial, repetitive work.

“When was the last time you used long division?” That was a question I was asked recently by one of Australia’s wunderkinds.

Taj Pabari, 18, is the founder of Fiftysix Creations, which provides digital and tech literacy programs for schools and businesses. He asked me the long division question because that’s how he thinks coding will be viewed.

It’s this narrow emphasis on science and technical skills he calls “irresponsible” and something that “economically does not make sense”. He points out there is a breadth of evidence that shows these are not relevant skills for the workforce now or into the future — especially when you compare we mere mortals with robots.

As someone who doesn’t know how to code and doesn’t have the best relationship with something as basic as PowerPoint, this gives me heart. The relentless focus on technology and engineering overlooks our innate humanity and our own value-add.

Pabari’s conclusion isn’t in isolation. Research by global management consultancy McKinsey & Co shows that machines are replacing the repetitive work of humans.

“Workers will spend less time on predictable physical activities and on collecting and processing data, where machines already exceed human performance,” it stated in a report last year. This leaves the skills that cannot be replaced by an algorithm.

Management consultant AlphaBeta Advisors labels these “enterprise skills”. Think problem solving, communication skills, critical thinking and teamwork. After assessing thousands of job advertisements, it says these are of equal value to, or greater than, digital skills.

This feels out of step with the indications from business and government, which are all too eager to emphasise the importance of science and technology.

But in Seattle in the US, at Boeing, where Pabari spent time on the manufacturing floor, engineers effectively were managing the robots and automated parts. It’s this project management, the communication that comes from it and higher-level analysis where work is headed and what our workplaces need.

I’ve seen the same with the application of automation in mining and logistics companies in Western Australia. Drones are being used, for example, to perform life-threatening jobs.

Mining magnate Gina Rinehart, too, has espoused the reliance on managing technology rather than having a deep understanding of it. On her Kidman Station drones are used to monitor cattle. Monitoring at this level allows for greater analysis of stock and frees up otherwise wasted time.

When I asked Pabari whether I should learn to code, he said it was a “waste of time”, in part because automation can do it better than you or me.

This is not to diminish the importance of digital literacy. A baseline understanding and willingness to try to learn how to use new technology as it arises is important. But change is happening in the blink of an eye. Just look at your smartphone.

What I caution against is thinking that the next hot thing is where you should be spending your energy. Play to your strengths, play to your humanity.

For the record, it has been a while since I have used long division, something I imagine my teachers are thankful for.

Conrad Liveris is a corporate adviser on workplaces and risk.