2009... the year of Bitcoin, the H1N1 flu, and Avatar, James Cameron's film, the highest-grossing in the history of cinema. That was a decade ago—or to put it another way, some of us at NeoTeo are old. Ten years is a wide enough margin to make one or two predictions. With that said, how did you imagine 2019 would be back in 2009? Did you get it right? A small YouTube channel called Government Technology asked a group of fourth graders in 2009 to imagine various things about 2019, including "the jobs of the future." Here's what they said.
At NeoTeo we love sharing predictions. Several high-profile companies have tried, from IBM to Microsoft, and we've also seen stranger cases, such as Apple's. Then we encounter predictions from privileged minds like Isaac Asimov's, but they aren't free from errors either. The year 2019 is a very tempting target because it brings us closer to a new decade, and with it comes the promise of multiple developments. However, a particularly delicate point is work. Ten years ago, the Government Technology channel asked a group of fourth graders what the jobs of the future would be. Want the list?
The jobs of the future, by 2009 kids
- Lunar greenhouse designer
- Cybersecurity specialist
- Algae engineer
- "Anti-aging" cosmetologist
- Teleporter mechanic
- Virtual game host
- Zero-energy residential architect
- Bullet train driver
- Soil nutrient replenishment specialist
- Avatar costume designer
- Food scientists
- Community garden organizers
- Global study trip planners
Cybersecurity experts, bullet train drivers, soil nutrient specialists, and food scientists aren't risky predictions, to say the least. In fact, these are jobs that already existed in 2009, and all they've done in ten years is gain traction and relevance. "Virtual game host" might align with the world of e-sports today, but I'm afraid the lunar greenhouse designer will have to wait until we return to the Moon (hopefully in the next decade).
https://old.neoteo.com/si-tienes-uno-de-estos-trabajos-en-el-futuro-seras-reemplazado-por-un-robot/The second part of the video explores what careers the children want to pursue and what kind of influence technology would have on their jobs. The most striking ones mention dancers with floating equipment to perform new steps, underwater offices, and dolphins working as mail carriers. The only thing that bothers me is that the script makes itself felt (a lot), and the constant sideways glances from the kids suggest multiple directions. Setting that aside, if in the future we see Amazon replacing drones with dolphins, then we'll know where the idea came from.
