President Emmanuel Macron together with many Silicon Valley CEOs will kick off the VivaTech conference in Paris this week with the aim of showcasing the “good” side of technology. Our research highlights some of those benefits, especially the productivity growth and performance gains that automation and artificial intelligence can bring to the economy — and to society more broadly, if these technologies are used to tackle major issues such as fighting disease and tackling climate change. But we also note some critical challenges that need to be overcome. Foremost among them: a massive shift in the skills that we will need in the workplace in the future.
Automation Will Make Lifelong Learning a Necessary Part of Work
McKinsey researchers analyzed the skill requirements for individual work activities in more than 800 occupations to examine the number of hours that the workforce spends on 25 core skills today. They then estimated the extent to which these skill requirements could change by 2030, as automation and artificial technologies are deployed in the workplace, and backed up their findings with a detailed survey of more than 3,000 business leaders in seven countries, who largely confirmed the quantitative findings. The findings highlight the major challenge confronting workforces, economies, and the well-being of society. Among other priorities, they show the urgency of putting in place large-scale retraining initiatives for a majority of workers who will be affected by automation—initiatives that are sorely lacking today. To give a sense of magnitude: more than one in three workers may need to adapt their skills’ mix by 2030, and lifelong learning of new skills will be essential for all.