Cambridge 16 | Test 1 | Passage 3

The future of work

According to a leading business consultancy, 3-14% of the global workforce will need to switch to a different occupation within the next 10-15 years, and all workers will need to adapt as their occupations evolve alongside increasingly capable machines. Automation or “embodied artificial intelligence” (AI)—is one aspect of the disruptive effects of technology on the labor market. “Disembodied AI,” like the algorithms running in our smartphones, is another.

leading (adjective) [ before noun ]

/ˈliː.dɪŋ/

best, most important, or most successful

e.g., Investors can buy shares in many of the world's leading companies in other parts of the world.

evolve (verb)

/ɪˈvɑːlv/

to develop gradually, or to cause something or someone to develop gradually

e.g., The company has evolved over the years into a multi-million-dollar organization.

disruptive (adjective)

/dɪsˈrʌp.t̬ɪv/

changing the traditional way that an industry operates, especially in a new and effective way

e.g., The start-up has always been a disruptive force in the market.