Over a third of Middle East employees worry about robots taking their jobs: survey

Dubai: With the rise of AI and machine learning, over a third of Middle Eastern employees are worried that robots or new technologies will soon take their jobs.

A survey called Workforce Hopes and Fears by PricewaterhouseCoopers found that 32% of employees said their companies are resorting to technology to improve their workplace. And around 41% are worried that technology will replace them in the next three years, reported Arab News.

Many see the future as a place overrun by robots that leave humans unemployed. Scott Nowson, an AI leader at PwC Middle East, told Arab News this will not be the case. He called the fears "unfounded" because more people will be needed to train the robots and demonstrate how tasks are done and create rules. Anas Batikhi, the managing director of health tech firm Santechture, also thinks new technology will shift focus to developing workforce talent and investing in people skills developments.

While some jobs will be automated, there will be an increased demand for people to work in other areas which will create more job opportunities. Nowson added that the most advanced robots in existence today can navigate uneven woodlands and dance. However, he observed that it is concerning that 53% of respondents from the Middle East reported having limited opportunities to upskill.

They haven't had a negative impact on job opportunities, except on the industrial level, said Doaa Sulaiman, robotics director of Proven Robotics. "But this has not been widely adopted in the regional market." "Technology will free us from routine toil and give us the freedom to redefine work in ways that are more constructive and useful to society," she added.