When You Grow Up, You Might Not Have A Job

 

Masterclass for Emerging Literacies

To discuss the future of work and AI’s impact on jobs.

Key Takeaways

• AI’s Threat to Jobs: AI’s ability to hack human biology (emotions, decisions) and its non-human advantages (connectivity, updatability) threaten even creative and cognitive roles, not just physical ones.

• The “Useless Class”: A new class of people may emerge who are economically redundant, not just from job loss but from a lack of emotional stamina to cope with constant retraining and career volatility.

• The Human Edge: Jobs requiring complex motor skills, empathy (e.g., nursing, caregiving), and dealing with unforeseen scenarios are more resistant to automation.

• New Session Format: The session is now a direct-link meeting with no registration, simplifying access. Recordings and notes are on the My Good School YouTube channel.

Topics

New Session Format

• Access: Direct-link meeting, no registration required.

• Rationale: To simplify access and focus on engagement over data collection.

• Resources:

  • Recordings & Notes: My Good School YouTube channel.

  • Weekly Newsletter: GSI.in.

  • Certificates: Available for ₹3000 via separate registration.

The Future of Work (Chapter 2: 21 Lessons for the 21st Century)

• The Automation Debate:

  • Pessimistic View: Automation will create mass economic redundancy.

  • Optimistic View: Automation will create more jobs, as in past industrial revolutions.

• AI’s New Capabilities:

  • Hacking Humans: AI is learning to understand and manipulate human emotions and decisions by analysing biochemical patterns (facial expressions, voice, body odour).

  • Non-Human Advantages:

    • Connectivity: All AI units can be linked into a single network, enabling perfect coordination and communication.

    • Updatability: The entire network can be updated instantly with new information (e.g., traffic laws, medical research).

• The “Useless Class”:

  • Problem: New AI-related jobs (e.g., data analysts) require high expertise, leaving unskilled workers behind.

  • Analogy: The 19th-century wagon driver became a taxi driver, but the horse was pushed out of the job market entirely.

  • Emotional Toll: Constant retraining and career volatility can lead to a “global epidemic of stress,” creating a class of people lacking the emotional stamina to cope.

Human-AI Collaboration & Competition

• Collaboration: Humans can service and leverage AI, creating new roles (e.g., drone maintenance, data analysis).

• Competition: AI’s rapid learning and creativity are surpassing human capabilities.

  • AlphaZero Example: In 2017, Google’s AlphaZero program learned chess from scratch in 4 hours and defeated Stockfish 8, the world’s computer chess champion.

  • Implication: AI is already demonstrating creativity that judges in human tournaments suspect is computer-generated.

Educational Framework: 4 C’s + 2 C’s

• Traditional 4 C’s: Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, Communication.

• Proposed 2 C’s: Character and Citizenship.

• Rationale: The 4 C’s are tools for building Character (perseverance, resilience, honesty) and Citizenship (engaging with diverse values for sustainability). Without these foundational qualities, the 4 C’s are ineffective.

Next Steps

• All Participants: Reflect on the key statements shared in the WhatsApp group and post comments.

• All Participants: Review the session recording and notes on the My Good School YouTube channel.

• All Participants: Join the next session on Saturday, August 1, at the bookmark shared in the WhatsApp group.

21st Century Educators

The Educators at The Iconic School are reading Kavita Ghosh’s Book for the Level II of the Learning Forward India three-year Professional Learning Program. 

The 21st century portrays a plethora of opportunities for every individual of the society. This calls for a great change in systems and skills of individuals. School education will become the first platform for this change. The stakeholders of this change are the school management, Educators and students. The change here means that most of the school systems need to be upgraded or revised. These systems include focus on the overall development of the student,  hiring Educators who are ready to experiment and are progressive in thoughts and actions.  The management needs to revise the conventional policies that give enough freedom for the school, educators and students to evolve.

The defined change can lead to multiple developments as the potential of every individual is recognized and catered. In such an environment  the education system will be able to provide opportunities and challenges to students to create  their individual development path as As per their interest. This conducive environment will build a human Possessing  21st century skills. Therefore the partnership between schools and parents need to be extremely strong in order to support the interest of the individuals. The need of the hour is to move beyond the conventional methodology of recruiting the Educators. The progressive educator need not be an excellent academician,  but should possess the skills to address the diversity in the classroom respecting and bringing out the best from every individual.

- Helpful Icons 

Role of teachers in 21st century

The reading, writing, designing etc is well taken by the new technology but what it can never replace is the touch of the mother that a child feels comfortable and relaxed in his mind and heart with his teacher, the child cry on 1 st day of school because he searches the mother in his teacher but after a week or so the child stops crying because he finds his mother in his teacher and start to share his journey of exploring things, feeling and confusion with the beautiful comfort zone of love and care, 

The latest technology can give a rose graphics, animations  but cannot give the fragrance of rose and the touch of softness that gives a child soothing effect of presence of life, The technology helps a child in creating the best of the creations by its software but can't replace the holding of teachers hands gradually moving the fingers of child to make a boat and clap, smile to motivate the best creation made with immense love and togetherness. Technologies are useful and make things easily accessible but Teachers drive the Thoughts to make this journey inspiring, happy and motivating to rise and excel. Technology gives a child mind of creation and Teachers give child wings of passion to create a mind and heart of Excellence.

Technology is new era of innovation and teachers are the source of channelizing Thoughts to Innovations. No technology can ever replace a teacher because Technology can get virus but teachers are ever ready to face the new challenges to rise over all things.

~ Ms Tazeen Siddiqui is Managing Director, Mansha Educational society. Her email address is  fortazeen@gmail.com