Disruptive technologies such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR), have created new jobs that did not exist a decade back. Going ahead, some of these will cease to exist and new ones will take their place, as the wheel of innovation rolls on.

According to a 2023 World Economic Forum (WEF) report, more than 75 percent of companies are looking to adopt newer technologies including big data, cloud computing, and AI in the next five years. “Organisations today estimate that 34 percent of all business-related tasks are performed by machines, with the remaining 66 percent performed by humans,’’ the report said, adding that companies predict that about 42 percent of business tasks will be automated by 2027.

However, while it is true that innovation will eliminate certain jobs (or reduce the required headcount for the same), it is also true that it will lead to the evolution of other roles.

Prompt engineers work on developing and improving the capabilities of natural language processing (NLP) models like GPT-3.5. They focus on creating algorithms and fine-tuning models to generate coherent and contextually relevant text in response to prompts or queries.

Such engineers are considered niche talent and are in huge demand. According to data from Xpheno, a specialist staffing company, India’s active Generative AI talent pool grew 54 percent over the last 12 months, the highest among all countries, including the US and Germany.

Social media influencers create content on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok to engage and grow a dedicated following. They leverage their influence to promote products, services, or causes, and often collaborate with brands for sponsored content.

With the rise in internet users, some influencers have now virtually become like brand ambassadors, earning crores by promoting a company’s products online.

For instance, Instagram influencers are paid depending on the country, sponsor, and number of followers they have. Influencers with about 10,000 followers make around $88 per post (global average), which can go up to $200 per post if they have about 1 lakh followers, as per media firm Influencer Marketing Hub.

AR / VR developer

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) developers create immersive digital experiences by developing software applications and environments. They work on games, simulations, training programs, and other applications that use AR and VR to provide users with interactive, three-dimensional experiences.

The metaverse, which depends on AR / VR, has already gained prominence with major brands present in the space. Some of the notable examples of the use of the metaverse include Reactland by Nike, MagicBand+ by Disney, Mobility Adventure by Hyundai Motor Company, and Gucci Garden by Gucci, among others.

Data protection officers

Data Protection Officers (DPOs) are responsible for ensuring an organisation’s compliance with data protection and privacy regulations, such as Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and India’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act. They manage a company’s data privacy policies, conduct risk assessments, and oversee data security measures to protect sensitive information.

India has witnessed a substantial 21 percent growth in the supply of DPOs over the past two years, while the demand for DPOs has surged by 32 percent in that time, according to data put together for Moneycontrol by job portal foundit.

Drone operator

Drone operators are responsible for operating unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). Drones are used for various purposes, including aerial photography, surveying, surveillance, and even package delivery. Their tasks may involve piloting the drone, maintaining it, and ensuring safety and compliance with regulations.

They are in huge demand in both major firms and startups. For instance, e-commerce giant Amazon hires drone operators for its Prime Air delivery service. In India, 20 percent — a majority — of the open job profiles in the industry are for drone pilots, according to staffing firm NLB Services.

Blockchain expert

Blockchain experts are specialists in distributed ledger technology (DLT). They design, develop, and maintain blockchain networks and applications. Their expertise ensures the security, transparency, and functionality of blockchain-based systems, often used in finance, supply chain management, and more.

Last year, job portal Indeed noticed that job postings for cryptocurrency, blockchain, and NFTs had grown 804 percent between April 2020 and April 2022. The report showed a staggering acceleration of 315 percent in market demand in 2022.

Telemedicine doctor

Telemedicine doctors provide medical consultation and treatment to patients remotely, typically through video calls or other technologies. Telemedicine doctors play a crucial role in expanding healthcare access, especially in remote or underserved areas. They must be proficient in using telemedicine platforms and maintaining accurate medical records.

Telemedicine has seen significant growth in India, especially after the Covid pandemic, which accelerated the adoption of remote healthcare services. Telemedicine doctors are in high demand as they help address the healthcare needs of a large and geographically diverse population.

AI ethics officer

AI ethics is a set of guidelines that inform the design and outcome of AI tools, as human beings come with all sorts of cognitive biases, such as recency and confirmation bias. These inherent biases can seep into the data we choose to train AI systems, the algorithm, etc.