1. Artificial Intelligence Will Automate More Tasks

​You probably won’t lose your job to automation in 2018, but it is very likely that more and more of your tasks will be taken over by AI. Jobs will change as the repetitive things you used to do and tasks that involve analyses will be done more quickly with fewer mistakes by AI.

​But don’t worry!  The parts of your job that require empathy, judgement and communication skills, will expand. Looking for job security? Ask yourself, what skills will be needed to augment AI in the future.

2. “Hello.” Voice Recognition Will be Everywhere

​You’re already getting used to voice recognition in your home. Things you never thought you’d talk to, like your TV and your thermostat, are objects you converse with on a daily basis. From our home to the workplace, we are going to rely more and more on digital assistants as computers become much better at translating natural speaking into transcripts and commands.

3. ​School’s Never Out

​There is no longer any such thing as “school’s out” because learning, adapting and improving have become essential to job security – and they will even more so in 2018. Personalized, micro-learning is becoming a bigger part of the workplace.  Whether the safety team wants to raise our consciousness of workplace safety or you need to take some computer and technology upgrades in order to remain productive and relevant, it’s never too late to learn something new.

4. Who Needs Walls?

​The Donald may want walls, but organizations no longer rely on them. Lines will continue to be blurred between work and home thanks to technology. Mobility is not new, but the degree in which it is embraced by employers is on the rise.

​An unexpected requirement of workers in 2018 will be trust. Trust that when your employees are not sitting within the office walls, that they are still hard at work. And trust by employees that they can set boundaries around availability that employers will respect. One way to make this work is to do away with the year-end performance review and to make accountability a weekly conversation where managers provide frequent, informal feedback to help improve performance, rather than just assess it.

On February 1 and 2 join ICTAM and a diverse group of disruptive thinkers at DisruptED18.

​Together, you’ll explore the future of work and it’s implications on society as we know it. Featuring sessions on top business trends, millennial ambitions, the tech sector’s diversity problem, and Inclusive innovation, this ground breaking two-day conference will spark conversations and inspire action. Speakers include: