45 per cent of jobs in the future will change: Gergawi

Dubai - Speaking at WGS, Gergawi said the difference between "humans and AI is imagination".

As we shift from an age of information to an age of imagination, the role of technology will slowly dominate government shift and focus, however an immigration of ideas is what will drive talent in the future. And it is that which will separate human beings from Artificial Intelligence (AI).  
Speaking at the World Government Summit (WGS) in Dubai on Sunday, Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future and Chairman of the WGS said the difference between "humans and AI is imagination".
"45 per cent of jobs in the future will change. As for the jobs that require creativity and creation of content, like design, arts, music, these are the jobs based on imagination and these are the jobs that will create a niche for human beings."
Today, the value of the creative jobs industry sits at $2.5 trillion. But by 2030 there will be a shortage of 85 million jobs within this sector. The government is looking to fill this gap and in the coming future we must teach creativity and imagination and get the youth interested in the creative sector; a sector which will be worth $8.5 trillion dollars by 2030," he said.
During the opening session: 'Globalisation 4.0 - How Governments Design the Future of Humanity?', Gergawi, alongside Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of World Economic Forum discussed how communication has changed and how it is shifting the focus of our daily habits.
"Man has moved from bilateral communication to multi-way communication. It is a completely different process and adapting to it is important. In the future we will have around 30 billion smart devices in our cars, homes linking world together. That will create a huge investment opportunity for governments," Gergawi said.  
Future communication will change a lot of components in day to day life, like transportation with driverless cars, and healthcare with virtual doctors, so how the government copes with this change will determines its success.
As mentioned by Gergawi, we are living in a "changing world and are witnessing political and social changes". It's a rapidly changing situation so creating opportunities for people and investing in the right areas, like improved communication and gaps in creative employment sector will carve out a better future for people. 
In a question to Schwab, Gergawi asked: "How will the fourth industrial revolution impact cities?"
And Schwab answered: "Cities have to create an entrepreneurship-friendly ecosystem. Imagination and innovation will drive tomorrow. They will be the key factors of global competitiveness. Cities have to become role models for creativity and they have to create an atmosphere where startups can flourish. The government has a role to play in that. Cities have to become a platform; this platform has to be multi-stakeholder."
And he ended with a key takeaway.
"I would also safeguard against planning too much today. You have to be agile. Explore and adapt and if something is good, scale it up."
kelly@khaleejtimes.com