For some reason the media are obsessed with the idea that your Job is under threat. Usually, this is blamed on immigration, but with technology advancing at such an alarming rate, a new scapegoat has emerged to keep you in a constant state of worry. In this article, I'll get to the bottom of the automation situation and try and conclude whether or not society would be better off by embracing the workforce of the next generation.
The history of robotics
Without going into too much detail, it should be noted that the idea of robotics has been around far longer than many people realised. Whilst the first patent was issued in the 1950s, the basic concept goes back hundreds and hundreds of years. It's almost as if Human beings have an innate desire to create mechanisms and automatic processes that enable them to no longer have to do their mundane every day tasks.
The whole idea was never really seen as a disadvantage until very recently, when technology evolved at such an alarming rate that robotics started to be able to do things that humans simply couldn't do as efficiently.
From that point onwards, robotics and automation in general have always been the elephant in the room, with most workers hoping the entire concept fizzles out long before they could be impacted.
However, as more and more companies look towards robotics to improve their competitiveness and long term profitability, it seems almost certain that this isn't an issue that's about to go away, quite the contrary.
"It's almost as if human beings have an innate desire to create mechanisms and automatic processes that enable them to no longer have to do their mundane every day tasks."
Current situation
Whilst the direction we are heading in may be very clear, the pace in which we are moving is slightly less certain. One possible explanation for this is that companies are too scared to fully commit to automation, perhaps anxious of the public relations disaster that could follow as a result.
What we are therefore currently seeing are a number of different companies, 'dipping their toe in the water' when it comes to Robots. Companies that are using them, tend to be doing so in conjunction with human workers, not instead of human workers.
Examples of this are robots used in warehouses to help navigate and sort through endless products to successfully and efficiently pick a customers order. Robots are also used in a lot of manufacturing processes, delivering parts to human workers and even looking after a small piece of the process that has a large margin for human error.
So what's the problem?
As I've mentioned, the problem is not what robots are currently being used for, but what companies might plan to do with them over the next few years. If companies are in fact dipping their toe in the water, what will happen if they start swimming? Research suggests that robots will eliminate 6% of all US jobs by 2021, a statistic that conjures up a fair amount of anxiousness amongst workers.
Unemployment is a major contributing factor to social unrest, so if robotics start to be used instead of humans, the potential consequences could be severe. Or could they?
Social benefits achieved through automation:
Is the problem really as bad as we think? When the media report on this issue, they tend to do so in a deliberately provocative manner, as if intentionally looking to instil fear in those who read their stories. I believe that if managed appropriately, there are some genuine social benefits to automation, which can be viewed as follows:
Quality of work
This is perhaps the strongest argument in favour of robotics. It basically revolves around the idea that if robots were used for the monotonous jobs, it would mean that humans are left with jobs that are more personally fulfilling and enjoyable. This idea does primarily rest on the assumption that there are jobs that robots will never replace, which I would imagine is a widely accepted concept. If you were to study the working conditions of some of the worst factories and warehouses around the world, you would understand the terrible conditions that some people are subjected to, and the idea of replacing those jobs with robots doesn't sound all that cruel.
Increase in skilled labour
Unless we are looking hundreds and hundreds of years ahead, it's probably safe to assume that robots are always going to require some form of supervision and/or maintenance. What this could then do is create additional demand for higher skilled jobs, such as engineers. Whilst the increase in these jobs is unlikely to outweigh the decrease in low skilled jobs, it can still ease the negative consequences.
Increase in profitability
Whilst the main talking points surrounding robotics focus on the effects on people, it's important to understand the potential business benefits and what they may mean for society as a whole. For example, if businesses adopted robotics, they could see a decrease in unit cost and an increase in quality, both of which could benefit the every consumer. Additionally, increasing the profitability of businesses could free up more capital for investment in socially beneficial activity.
Social costs attributed to automation:
Unemployment
I realise that unemployment is what this whole article is about, but it is clearly the biggest social cost as a result of automation. Whilst some jobs may be created regarding the supervision and maintenance of robots, surely this can't outweigh the losses that to me seem rather inevitable.
Increase in inequality
It's a nice idea to have a labour market slowly eradicate low skilled, monotonous jobs, but what about the potential effects on inequality? Whilst low skilled jobs aren't the most fulfilling or rewarding, they offer employment for people that might not have done well at school, or who might not have the capability to learn the advanced skills required to survive this transition. Personally, I can imagine this ending in a situation where privileged, educated individuals do extremely well, whilst the rest in society are left behind. Inequality is already a huge social issue, and I can't see how automation can do anything other than worsen it.
Profitability benefits won't be passed on
In theory, companies being more profitable could mean that products become higher quality and cheaper. However, look at the behaviour of big businesses at the moment. With accumulating wealth for next to no purpose become the new corporate 'norm', it's more likely that cost savings will just add a few zeros to a bank account somewhere in Panama. Will society really benefit if that is the case? I think not. Additionally, the idea that these cost savings could free up more capital for social investment is beautifully optimistic in theory, but utopian in practice. For the same reason, it's incredibly unlikely that these benefits will be passed on to everyday consumers and society.
So what's the verdict?
From the arguments i've presented, I think it could be concluded that fully fledged automation would do more harm than good when it comes to society. However, it's not all doom and gloom. Personally, I remain optimistic that whilst the effects could be detrimental, companies will never take the plunge to adopt robots as much as is physically possible. Instead, I think we are likely to continue seeing a situation where robots and humans work in harmony with each other. If managed correctly, I think this poses little threat to employment, and can actually be socially beneficial.
Overall, it all just depends on how heavily companies adopt automation. Therefore, if consumers remain vigilant and vocal, the social risk for businesses to replace as many workers as possible will always outweigh the benefits.
https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/courses/soco/projects/1998-99/robotics/history.html
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/sep/13/artificial-intelligence-robots-threat-jobs-forrester-report
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-2642880/Table-700-jobs-reveals-professions-likely-replaced-robots.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/is-a-robot-about-to-take-your-job/
http://uk.businessinsider.com/companies-that-use-robots-instead-of-humans-2016-2?r=US&IR=T/#quiet-logistics-robots--quickly-find-package-and-ship-online-orders-in-warehouses-2
http://www.epi.org/blog/link-joblessness-social-unrest/
Image: Mass Robotics
This post first appeared on Sell No Evil | Corporate Social Responsibility, please read the originial post: here
