时文选读| 人工智能驱动的未来工作更需要人类的参与

The AI-Fueled Future of Work Needs Humans More Than Ever

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Part I. Passage

The AI-Fueled Future of Work Needs Humans More Than Ever

Much like the internet did in the 1990s, AI is going to change the very definition of work. While change can be scary, if the last three years taught us anything, it can also be an opportunity to reinvent how we do things. I believe the best way to manage the changes ahead for employees and employers alike is to adopt a skills-first mindset.

For employees, this means thinking about your job as a collection of tasks instead of a job title, with the understanding that those tasks will change regularly as AI advances. By breaking down your job into tasks that AI can fully take on, tasks for which AI can improve your efficiency, and tasks that require your unique skills, you can identify the skills you should actually be investing in to stay competitive in the job you have.

After all, the skills required for many jobs have changed by a staggering 25 percent since 2015, and that number is expected to reach at least 65 percent by 2030 due to the rapid development of new technologies such as AI. And it’s not just skills related to AI literacy — people skills are rising in importance. Our data shows the top skills that professionals think will become more important as AI tools become more widely used at work are problem solving, strategic thinking, and time management.

As for employers, the rise of AI only increases the importance of a skills-based approach to hiring and developing talent. People are learning AI skills at a rapid clip, with the number of AI-skilled members now nine times larger than it was in 2016. And there is a hunger to put these newly developed skills into practice: LinkedIn job posts that mention artificial intelligence or generative AI have seen 17 percent greater application growth over the past two years than job posts with no mentions of the technology. The leaders that focus on these skills when hiring (rather than just the degree someone has earned or jobs they’ve had) will unlock more potential and be more agile as the way we do work continues to change.

The same is true for developing talent. We will increasingly see employers become educators, “training to hire” into ever-changing jobs through onboardings, apprenticeships, and academies, as well as “training to promote” into ever-changing roles through upskilling and tours of duty that take employees into new functions and perhaps even new careers. This will be for hard skills related to AI, but perhaps more importantly, for people skills, too: Our data shows 92 percent of US executives believe people skills are more important than ever.

2024 will start to usher in a new world of work where people skills — problem solving, empathy, and active listening to name just three — are more core to career success, and people-to-people collaboration is more core to company success. Leaders and employees need to think of AI as just one tool in the toolbox. It doesn’t replace people, it allows them to do their job more effectively, leaving them time to focus on the more valuable — and more human — parts of their jobs. For instance, a software engineer can have AI help with the more routine or repetitive coding that’s regularly required, giving them more time to innovate on new ideas. Or a recruiter can save time and focus on the more strategic parts of the hiring process — like speaking to and building relationships with candidates — by letting AI handle the creation of job postings.

In 2024, leaders will lean into this ever-evolving technology while simultaneously empowering their employees, and people will align their skill-building and continuing education with AI skills and practical people skills. The result will be a new world of work that’s more human and more fulfilling than ever before.

【Vocabulary】

1. agile adj. 敏捷的，灵活的  

2. executive n. 高管，行政人员  

3. usher v. 引领，引导  

4. empathy n. 同理心，移情  

5. effective adj. 有效的  

6. repetitive adj. 重复的，反复的  

8. empower v. 授权，赋能  

Part II. Questions

Q1. What percentage of skills required for jobs is expected to change by 2030 due to AI advancements?  

   A. 25 percent.  

   B. 50 percent.  

   C. 65 percent.  

   D. 75 percent.  

Q2. According to LinkedIn data, how much greater application growth have job posts mentioning AI seen compared to those without?  

   A. 9 percent.  

   B. 17 percent.  

   C. 25 percent.  

   D. 65 percent.  

Q3. What does the author imply about the role of employers in the future of work?  

   A. Employers will focus solely on AI-related hard skills.  

   B. Employers will need to become educators to develop talent.  

   C. Employers will prioritize hiring based on traditional degrees.  

   D. Employers will reduce training programs due to AI advancements.  

Q4. What is the main purpose of the text?  

   A. To explain how AI will replace human jobs in the future.  

   B. To highlight the importance of AI-related technical skills.

   C. To argue that AI will make traditional education obsolete.    

   D. To discuss the evolving role of people skills in the AI-driven workplace.

Q5. What is one example of how AI can help software engineers according to the text?  

   A. By assisting with routine or repetitive coding tasks.  

   B. By automating strategic hiring processes.  

   C. By replacing human innovation in coding.    

   D. By handling people-to-people collaboration effectively.  

Part III. KEY

Q1. C.【解析】细节题。根据“And that number is expected to reach at least 65 percent by 2030 due to the rapid development of new technologies such as AI.”，可知由于人工智能等新技术的快速发展，因AI 发展预计变化的技能比例到2030年将至少达到65%。因此正确答案为C。  

Q2. B.【解析】细节题。根据“LinkedIn job posts that mention artificial intelligence or generative AI have seen 17 percent greater application growth over the past two years than job posts with no mentions of the technology.”，可知在过去两年中，提到人工智能或生成式人工智能的LinkedIn职位发布的申请增长率比未提及该技术的职位发布高17%。因此正确答案为B。  

Q3. B.【解析】推理题。根据“We will increasingly see employers become educators, ‘training to hire’ into ever-changing jobs through onboardings, apprenticeships, and academies, as well as ‘training to promote’ into ever-changing roles through upskilling and tours of duty.”，可知越来越多雇主成为教育者，通过入职培训、学徒计划和学院进行“培训以雇用”，并通过技能提升和轮岗进行“培训以晋升”。这表明雇主需要成为教育者以开发人才，因此正确答案为B。  

Q4. D.【解析】主旨题。根据“2024 will start to usher in a new world of work where people skills - problem solving, empathy, and active listening to name just three — are more core to career success, and people-to-people collaboration is more core to company success.”，可知2024年将开始迎来一个新的工作世界，人际技能（例如解决问题、同理心和积极倾听）将成为职业成功的核心，人际协作将成为公司成功的核心。文章主要讨论了人际技能在人工智能驱动的工作场所中的重要性，因此正确答案为D。  

Q5. A.【解析】细节题。根据“For instance, a software engineer can have AI help with the more routine or repetitive coding that’s regularly required, giving them more time to innovate on new ideas.”，可知软件工程师可以让人工智能帮助完成常规或重复的编码任务，从而有更多时间创新新想法，就是一个是AI帮助软件工程师的例子。因此正确答案为A。  

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