CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – A new study by Forrester predicts how robots, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) will impact the workforce over the next 10 years. While automation and related technologies will inevitably displace some of the workforce, Forrester argues that the technology will transform the workforce by adding new jobs or changing existing jobs, rather than completely displacing workers.

Amid claims that robots will steal our jobs, in its “The Future of Jobs, 2027: Working Side by Side with Robots” report, Forrester says that the future of jobs isn’t nearly as gloomy as many prognosticators believe. In reality, automation will spur the growth of many new jobs, including some entirely new job categories.

The largest effect of automation will be on job transformation, where humans will find themselves working side by side with robots. Forrester suggests that infrastructure and operations (I&O) leaders must make sure these technologies not only cut costs but also drive customer value.

Cited within the report are the following findings:

• Automation will displace 24.7 million jobs by 2027. This equates to a job loss of 17% between 2017 and 2027.
• New technology will also create 14.9 million new jobs in the next decade, with automation creating jobs equivalent to 10% of the workforce through 2027.
• While automation will lead to a net loss of 9.8 million U.S. jobs by 2027, that’s nowhere near the 69 million that many pundits have predicted.

In a recent report, Forrester projected that 24.7 million jobs will be lost to automation by 2027. The research firm updated its future of jobs research to take into account how robots, automation and artificial intelligence will impact the workforce over the next decade. While the findings indicate a job loss of 17% between 2017 and 2027, Forrester estimated that new technology will also create 14.9 million new jobs in the next decade—equivalent to 10% of the workforce through 2027.

Automation is happening within the auto industry, booking and reservations, shipping and receiving, travel, and consumer goods. Have you ever seen robots make pizzas? They’re doing that now, according to Forrester, so even the men and women who work the lines in quick service restaurants may not be making them for much longer.