As robots and algorithms continue to become more central to the workplace, workers and employers face the enormous task of figuring out how to cope. No longer is automation a thing of the future: the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) estimates that half of today’s work activities coordinated by humans could be automated with present-day technology. If recent experience is any indicator, few organizations or individuals are prepared for such a transition. Already, there’s a significant gap, brought on by digitization and advanced data analytics, between the skills people have and the skills companies need. And existing skill mismatches are nowhere near as significant as the ones automation and artificial intelligence will bring. Demographic changes will also contribute to the challenge. Life expectancy Competitive advantage with a human dimension: From lifelong learning to lifelong employability As AI-enabled automation advances, organizations should embrace “lifelong employability,” which stretches tradi- tional notions of learning and development and can inspire workers to adapt, more routinely, to the evolving economy. by Beth Davies, Connor Diemand-Yauman, and Nick van Dam February 2019 McKinsey Quarterly