Jobs of the future are strange, terrifying and 'don't even exist yet'
Nostalgist, genetics coach, child assistant bot programmer. This is all normal. Totally normal.
What could your future job be?
Right now we seem to be coming to grips with the idea that, years from now, many current jobs we take for granted will have transformed beyond recognition or, worse, cease to exist.
But what kind of jobs will replace them?
Griffith University and Deakin University recently teamed up with Ford in Australia in an attempt to tackle that question. The answers are strange and terrifying. Please... let me die before this dystopian future takes shape.
First, a bit of a disclaimer. Studies of these kind, funded at least in part by a company with some sort of message in mind, have to be taken with a grain of salt.
But regardless, the study seems to have merit. After studying the existing research around the topic of future jobs, the research team identified a series of industries and consulted with experts familiar with "cutting edge developments" in this field to help guide the discussion and make predictions.
Then they came up with 100 possible jobs that could exist in the future, according to the research and the testimony of these experts.
Some of these jobs make a lot of sense.
Take the de-extinction geneticist, for example.
De-extinction is a topic we've covered extensively here at CNET. Scientists are already looking to CRISPR to find ways to protect existing species, or carefully bring back animals that could help provide ecological balance.
Ethical Hacker is another role the study identified. Again, CNET has already covered that in-depth. That role, as described in this study already exists.
But things get a little bit weirder.
How about a job as a "child assistant bot programmer." This study expects that "humanoid robots" will help children play safely.
"These bots can be personalised and programmed to align with family preferences, values and rules," reads the study. "They read nursery rhymes, personalise stories, teach basic numeracy and language skills, develop general knowledge, support the learning of spatial skills, and use coding games to develop digital literacies."
The study also mentions "cricket farmer" as a potential future job. Makes sense, since food shortages are a real issue and crickets are a great source of protein.
How about "memory optimiser," a job that sounds like something straight out of Total Recall. They will "augment people's working memory capacities through digital implant technologies, and judicious memory erasure." Brilliant.
Perhaps my favourite: the "nostalgist." The study predicts that, as people live longer, there will be a market for people who can recreate the best parts of life from 80 to 100 years ago.
"Nostalgists combine interior design expertise with personal digital research to design a personalised experience for their clients," says the study. "People may wish to live in environments designed by nostalgists, or to visit them virtually with the assistance of a virtual reality experience creator."
Peta White, a science and environmental education lecturer at Deakin University, says many of the jobs our younger generation will do in the future "don't even exist yet".
"Our aim with this project," she adds, "is to help parents, educators and industry professionals support the next generation in their future career ambitions."
To take the quiz and find out what future job you might have, go here.