Top 10 Jobs Most Likely to be Replaced by Robots

Imagine the last time you had to withdraw or deposit money. Did you stand in line for twenty minutes at your local bank, or did you simply go to the nearest ATM and perform your transaction there? Unfortunately for tellers, most people have started to do their banking at ATMs, which over the years have become increasingly complex. Many people are even doing it online from apps on their phones. While these technologies have been used for several years now, they were mostly used for fairly simple transactions. In the very near future, it’s likely that they will be able to easily accomplish anything and everything else a teller can, including those things that you thought you’d need to do in person and face-to-face - and you’ll probably be able to do them all without even leaving your home!

Do you enjoy going to a bar with your friends, telling the bartender what you want, and watching them create it right in front of your eyes? Well, don’t get used to it, as bartenders could soon be replaced by robots like the ThinBot, a creation featured at the annual Robot Games. These robotic bartenders can create cocktails, pour beer, and do basically anything else that a barman or barmaid can. Not only that, but you’d save money by not having to tip, and wait times in busy clubs would be drastically reduced. We’re just not sure if these machines will also be able to double as a friend or therapist on those lonely, lonely nights.

While it may be a long time before construction workers are completely neglected or put aside, it seems it may happen in the future, as the technology to replace them is already being created. Harvard engineers have built tiny robots called TERMES, which are capable of constructing small-scale structures because they’re programmed to follow a few simple rules and perform a few simple behaviors. These Termite-inspired robots can build towers, and even lay down sandbags for an impending flood. It’s only a matter of time before they’re scaled up and are able to perform larger, more complex tasks, effectively ending the need for human construction.

Aside from the package you ordered online, when was the last time you actually used snail mail? Basically everyone with access to the Internet uses email for correspondence, and many functions that used to require traditional mail, such as filing taxes, are done entirely online. Even the aforementioned packages will soon likely give up post, as Amazon’s drones are set to change mail delivery forever. Robots are even taking over the post office, as the process of sorting the mail becomes automated. You can expect to see the mail carrier cut out altogether in the relatively near future.

Yes, believe it or not, accountants are slowly on their way out the door and are being replaced by automated machines. While previously you had to go to a professional for monetary aid or assistance, younger generations are now turning to “robo-advisors,” which are exactly what they sound like; financial advisers that tend to a user’s simple financial needs with little-to-no-human involvement on the web. It won’t be long before these robo-advisers are able to assist with complex cases, and even businesses.

Would you trust a machine to work on you? Regardless of whether you would or not, robotic surgeons are the way of the future. Many doctors today are using robotics for assistance in low risk, less invasive surgeries, but that’s only the beginning. There have already been reports of machines being trained to remove tumors from tissue by using Silly Putty as the “tissue”, and there is a robot on the market capable of performing hair transplants. These test subjects are sure to blossom and become full-fledged “surgeons” in the near future.

With many employees today protesting for higher wages, the increase in cost for production, and dedication to keep prices low, fast food chains are beginning to experiment with robotic employees to save money. Panera Bread has announced that it will bring kiosks and mobile ordering to their stores, and a paper published by Oxford concluded that there is a 92% chance that the ordering and preparing at fast food locations will become entirely automated. At least this way you’ll be able to avoid that dreaded hair in your burger.

As technology constantly changes and improves, it’s no wonder that security guards are being phased out in exchange for more proficient machines. Many places are equipped with security cameras, infrared, alarms, and a host of other forms of surveillance, but perhaps most important is Knightscope’s K5 robot, an archetype that has been used to patrol Microsoft’s Silicon Valley campus as a test. The autonomous robot is equipped with cameras, sensors, an alarm, and enough artificial intelligence to one day make security guards obsolete.

Humans have been killing each other in warfare since the beginning of our existence, yet this could all change in the future with the advent of robotics. Robots are currently being used today in Afghanistan and Pakistan, most notably in roles of drone warfare and roadside bomb disposal. However, cyborg soldiers are currently being perfected, such as DARPA’s Atlas, a 6-foot humanoid robot designed for aiding in emergencies. The full use of these types of robots and machines currently requires human interaction, but – considering the rate at which technology is growing these days – we should see fully automated soldiers in the near future.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Dentists
- Waste Collectors
- Sex Workers
- Cooks

Unfortunately for those of you who enjoy a conversation while traveling, drivers may soon become obsolete, and most likely in your lifetime. Google’s famous Self-Driving Car has already driven thousands of miles without incident or human interaction. Also, while Uber has been slowly taking over the industry, effectively taking taxi jobs, the CEO of the company has stated that they will be replacing their drivers with self-driving cars in the near future. Sooner or later, we’ll be telling a car – not a human driver - where to go, and it’ll take us without incident. How futuristic!

Do you agree with our list? What jobs do you think will become automated in the future? For more futuristic top tens published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.