Young Workers Fear The Rise Of The Robots

Nearly half of young people fear they will be replaced by machines at work within a decade, according to survey.

The research by software provider Infosys (BSE: INFOT6.BO - news) , which also found many people believed their education failed to prepare them for their jobs, as a report by ICM Unlimited said labour market changes, including increasing use of robots and artificial intelligence, would result in the loss of 5.1 million jobs in five years.

Some 80% of those questioned by Infosys said they constantly needed to learn new skills to survive in the face of rapid technological change.

The global survey warned education systems were being left.

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Infosys chief executive Vishal Sikka said: "We must transition away from our past; shift the focus from learning what we already know to an education focused on exploring what hasn't happened yet."

Globally, while almost two-thirds of those queried said they felt positive about their job prospects, those in developing markets Brazil, China, India and South Africa were far more optimistic than their peers in developed markets.

In India, 60% said they think they had the skills needed for their careers, but just a quarter were similarly optimistic in France, the poll found.

The poll of 9,000 16-25 year olds in countries around the world complements fears in the UK that robots could replace as many as one third of British jobs.

An exclusive Sky (LSE: BSY.L - news) survey in September found 30% of people in the UK feared their job could be at risk and as more roles increasingly fall to intelligent machines, a national task force has been created to investigate the moral constraints of Artificial Intelligence.

A Deloitte report has suggested 35% of UK jobs are at risk from automation over the next two decades with jobs paying less than £30,000-a-year five times more likely to be displaced than those paying more than £100,000.

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The ICM "Future (Other OTC: FRNWF - news) of Jobs" study concluded jobs would be displaced in every industry with the biggest negative losses in healthcare, energy and financial services.

Released ahead of the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, it focuses on what it describes as the "Fourth Industrial Revolution," the broad social and economic shifts taking place due to disruptive digital technologies.

The WEF has made "the fourth industrial revolution" - a topic covering robotics, nanotechnology, 3D printing and biotechnology - the official theme of this year's meeting, which begins on 20 January.