AI Jobs of the Future: 7 Strange Roles Coming by 2030

Most conversations about artificial intelligence focus on the jobs it might take away. It is just as interesting to ask what it might create. Jason Morris, a business expert and CEO of Profit Engine, thinks AI jobs of the near future will include some roles that sound like science fiction today.

His central point is that people tend to overrate what AI can do alone and underrate the openings it creates. Here are the seven he expects to see on job boards by 2030.

AI jobs that look after our digital companions

Virtual Pet Therapist. As robotic pets and digital companions become more lifelike, people will form real attachments. This therapist would help owners with training, behaviour and even the sadness of a piece of software being retired. Morris notes that replacing a companion that remembers birthdays and moods will not feel like swapping a phone. Skills: psychology, counselling and an understanding of human-machine interaction.

Digital Memory Curator. Personal AIs may store conversations, photos and even emotional data. A curator would act like a librarian for a life log, sorting it so a person’s digital legacy stays meaningful and not an overwhelming pile of data. Skills: archival science, storytelling and data ethics.

Keeping the machines honest

Algorithm Bias Auditor. Bias in AI is already widely discussed, and auditors would test systems for hidden prejudice on behalf of companies, governments and charities. Morris calls trust the currency of the AI economy, particularly in healthcare, finance and justice. Skills: statistics, law, ethics and social science.

AI Personality Designer. Avatars will serve as customer service staff, teachers and companions. A designer would shape how they express emotion so that they feel genuine, with humour and quirks. Skills: psychology, linguistics, character development and performance.

Sleep, taste and surroundings

AI-Assisted Dream Interpreter. Sleep technology may let AI study brain patterns in great detail. The machine supplies the what of a dream, and the interpreter supplies the why, linking it to culture and personal history. Skills: psychology, anthropology and creative interpretation.

Machine Learning Sommelier. This specialist would train AI to suggest wine or cocktail pairings, using flavour chemistry plus feedback on mood and stress. Skills: culinary arts, sensory science and AI training.

Virtual Environment Stylist. As immersive workspaces mature, people will want experts to design calming digital gardens, inspiring learning spaces and therapeutic landscapes. Skills: design, the psychology of space and 3D modelling.

What stays human

Morris believes these titles highlight one truth: AI increases the value of human strengths. He names three in particular.

• Empathy, understanding emotions and values
• Creativity, producing original ideas and connections
• Ethical judgment, deciding what should be done and not only what can be

Why these roles are not as far-fetched as they sound

Each of these jobs grows out of something that already exists. Counselling, archiving, auditing, character writing, sleep research, wine knowledge and interior design are all established fields. The twist is that they meet a new kind of technology.

That is a useful way to think about your own career, too. Rather than guessing which job titles will appear, it may be more helpful to build skills that sit alongside AI, such as understanding people, thinking creatively and weighing up what is right. Those are the skills Morris expects to stay in demand as the technology develops.

The smarter our machines get, he argues, the more we will need to lean on the human side of intelligence.