So this week not only has a hitch-hiking robot embarked on an east-to-west-coast journey across America, but a hotel staffed by robots also opened in Japan.
A human hotel receptionist being replaced by a robotic dinosaur at Nagasaki’s Henn na (Strange) Hotel has left us wondering – are robots taking over the world?
And more importantly – are they going to take our jobs?
To find out, we delved into a study from Oxford University, which ranked 700 occupations on whether they were likely to be taken over by automated technology.
According to authors Carl Benedikt Frey and Michael A Osborne: “While technological progress throughout economic history has largely been confined to the mechanisation of manual tasks, requiring physical labour, technological progress in the twenty-first century can be expected to contribute to a wide range of cognitive tasks, which, until now, have largely remained a human domain.”
Here are the 100 most at risk of being replaced by robots and the percentage represents the likelihood of that happening
1. Telemarketers (99%)
2. Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers (99%)
3. Hand sewers (99%)
4. Mathematical Technicians (99%)
5. Insurance Underwriters (99%)
6. Watch Repairers (99%)
7. Cargo and Freight Agents (99%)
8. Tax Preparers
9. Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators (99%)
10. New Accounts Clerks (99%)
11. Library Technicians (99%)
12. Data Entry Keyers (99%)
13. Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters (98%)
14. Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks (98%)
15. Brokerage Clerks (98%)
16. Order Clerks (98%)
17. Loan Officers (98%)
18. Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (98%)
19. Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials (98%)
20. Tellers (98%)
21. Etchers and Engravers (98%)
22. Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders (98%)
23. Procurement Clerks (98%)
24. Shipping, Receiving, and Traffic Clerks (98%)
25. Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (98%)
26. Credit Analysts (98%)
27. Parts Salespersons (98%)
28. Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators (98%)
29. Driver/Sales Workers (98%)
30. Radio Operators (98%)
31. Legal Secretaries (98%)
32. Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks (98%)
33. Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers (98%)
34. Models (98%)
35. Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop (97%)
36. Credit Authorisers, Checkers, and Clerks (97%)
37. Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks (97%)
38. Agricultural and Food Science Technicians (97%)
39. Telephone Operators (97%)
40. Real Estate Brokers (97%)
41. File Clerks (97%)
42. Counter and Rental Clerks (97%)
43. Prepress Technicians and Workers (97%)
44. Motion Picture Projectionists (97%)
45. Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers (97%)
46. Cashiers (97%)
47. Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians (97%)
48. Log Graders and Scalers (97%)
49. Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation (97%)
50. Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand (97%)
51. Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (97%)
52. Dental Laboratory Technicians (97%)
53. Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders (97%)
54. Farm Labour Contractors (97%)
55. Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers (97%)
56. Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders (97%)
57. Team Assemblers (97%)
58. Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing (97%)
59. Bridge and Lock Tenders (97%)
60. Billing and Posting Clerks (96%)
61. Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers (96%)
62. Cooks, Restaurant (96%)
63. Fabric Menders, Except Garment (96%)
64. Gaming Dealers (96%)
65. Locomotive Engineers (96%)
66. Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators and Tenders (96%)
67. Model Makers, Wood (96%)
68. Surveying and Mapping Technicians (96%)
69. Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive (96%)
70. Rock Splitters, Quarry (96%)
71. Counter Attendants, Cafeteria, Food Concession, and Coffee Shop (96%)
72. Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service (96%)
73. Compensation and Benefits Managers (96%)
74. Office Clerks, General (96%)
75. Receptionists and Information Clerks (96%)
76. Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance (96%)
77. Jewellers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers (95%)
78. Postal Service Clerks (95%)
79. Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (95%)
80. Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers (95%)
81. Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders (95%)
82. Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers (95%)
83. Moulding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Metal and Plastic (95%)
84. Animal Breeders (95%)
85. Print Binding and Finishing Workers (95%)
86. Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (95%)
87. Library Assistants, Clerical (95%)
88. Nuclear Power Reactor Operators (95%)
89. Bill and Account Collectors (95%)
90. Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (95%)
91. Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping (95%)
92. Manicurists and Pedicurists (95%)
93. Paralegals and Legal Assistants (94%)
94. Agricultural Inspectors (94%)
95. First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers (94%)
96. Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related Workers (94%)
97. Tyre Builders (94%)
98. Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks (94%)
99. Helpers, Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons (94%)
100. Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators (94%)
Managed to escape the list? Well here are the 100 jobs that are least likely to be replaced by robots in the future.
1. Recreational Therapists (0.28%)
2. First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers (0.3%)
3. Emergency Management Directors (0.3%)
4. Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers (0.31%)
5. Audiologists (0.33%)
6. Occupational Therapists (0.35%)
7. Orthotists and Prosthetists (0.35%)
8. Healthcare Social Workers (0.35%)
9. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (0.36%)
10. First-Line Supervisors of Fire Fighting and Prevention Workers (0.36%)
11. Dietitians and Nutritionists (0.39%)
12. Lodging Managers (0.39%)
13. Choreographers (0.4%)
14. Sales Engineers (0.41%)
15. Physicians and Surgeons (0.42%)
16. Instructional Coordinators (0.44%)
17. Psychologists, All Other (0.44%)
18. First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives (0.44%)
19. Dentists, General (0.44%)
20. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education (0.44%)
21. Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists (0.45%)
22. Education Administrators, Elementary and Secondary School (0.46%)
23. Podiatrists (0.46%)
24. Clinical, Counselling, and School Psychologists (0.47%)
25. Mental Health Counsellors (0.48%)
26. Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers (0.49%)
27. Set and Exhibit Designers (0.55%)
28. Human Resources Managers (0.55%)
29. Recreation Workers (0.61%)
30. Training and Development Managers (0.63%)
31. Speech-Language Pathologists (0.64%)
32. Computer Systems Analysts (0.65%)
33. Social and Community Service Managers (0.67%)
34. Curators (0.68%)
35. Athletic Trainers (0.71%)
36. Medical and Health Services Managers (0.73%)
37. Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education (0.74%)
38. Farm and Home Management Advisers (0.75%)
39. Anthropologists and Archaeologists (0.77%)
40. Special Education Teachers, Secondary School (0.77%)
41. Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (0.78%)
42. Clergy (0.81%)
43. Foresters (0.81%)
44. Educational, Guidance, School, and Vocational Counsellors (0.85%)
45. Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School (0.88%)
46. Registered Nurses (0.9%)
47. Rehabilitation Counsellors (0.94%)
48. Teachers and Instructors, All Other (0.95%)
49. Forensic Science Technicians (0.95%)
50. Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance (0.1%)
51. Marine Engineers and Naval Architects (0.1%)
52. Education Administrators, Postsecondary (0.1%)
53. Mechanical Engineers (0.11%)
54. Pharmacists (0.12%)
55. Logisticians (0.12%)
56. Microbiologists (0.12%)
57. Industrial-Organisational Psychologists (0.12%)
58. Coaches and Scouts (0.13%)
59. Sales Managers (0.13%)
60. Hydrologists (0.14%)
61. Marketing Managers (0.14%)
62. Marriage and Family Therapists (0.14%)
63. Engineers, All Other (0.14%)
64. Training and Development Specialists (0.14%)
65. First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers (0.14%)
66. Biological Scientists, All Other (0.15%)
67. Public Relations and Fundraising Managers (0.15%)
68. Multimedia Artists and Animators (0.15%)
69. Computer and Information Research Scientists (0.15%)
70. Chief Executives (0.15%)
71. Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare Centre/Program (0.15%)
72. Music Directors and Composers (0.15%)
73. First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers (0.16%)
74. Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents (0.16%)
75. Conservation Scientists (0.16%)
76. Special Education Teachers, Middle School (0.16%)
77. Chemical Engineers (0.17%)
78. Architectural and Engineering Managers (0.17%)
79. Aerospace Engineers (0.17%)
80. Natural Sciences Managers (0.18%)
81. Environmental Engineers (0.18%)
82. Architects, Except Landscape and Naval (0.18%)
83. Physical Therapist Assistants (0.18%)
84. Civil Engineers (0.19%)
85. Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners, All Other (0.2%)
86. Soil and Plant Scientists (0.21%)
87. Materials Scientists (0.21%)
88. Materials Engineers (0.21%)
89. Fashion Designers (0.21%)
90. Physical Therapists (0.21%)
91. Photographers (0.21%)
92. Producers and Directors (0.22%)
93. Interior Designers (0.22%)
94. Orthodontists (0.23%)
95. Art Directors (0.23%)
96. First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers (0.25%)
97. Directors, Religious Activities and Education (0.25%)
98. Electronics Engineers, Except Computer (0.25%)
99. Biochemists and Biophysicists (0.27%)
100. Chiropractors (0.27%)
Over on NPR’s website you can also use a tool based on the same research that will tell you how likely it is your job would be replaced by a robot.
Here’s the original paper called The Future of Employment: How susceptible are jobs to computerisation?
Don’t fear for your job too much though. Robots may be able to potentially do our jobs but it doesn’t mean they’ll replace us all just yet.