Are Robots Ready To Replace Us In Jobs?
By: T M Nived
Tags: Humanity, Jobs, Robots, Robotics

In the 18th century, when the Industrial Revolution was beginning, many armchair experts and even many administrations believed that it would lead to loss of jobs and an increase in poverty. But inventions like steam engines and later on the vision of people like Henry Ford not just created the demand for many goods and services but also led to an increase in employment and wage. Be it steam engines or Ford’s Model T automobile, they all increased not only the convenience for humankind but also created many industries that didn’t exist before. Even during the 1980s and 1990s, many armchair experts and journalists predicted computers would ultimately lead to the doom of manual jobs. But the results observed were very different. Countries like India saw a new sector of Information technology emerge out of nowhere, employing millions of people globally in current times.

A similar dystopian future of the world is predicted by many with the advent of newer technologies like robots. We are in a world where robots are building our cars, performing medical surgeries, and even acting as a personal assistant to us through our smartphones.

According to an Oxford University analysis, around 47% of jobs in the next 25 years would be replaced by automation. The impact of this shift is predicted to impact the poorer sections of society more than the rich. But there’s a silver lining in this situation too. Even though automation will kill tons of jobs, but it will also create tons of new jobs too. Many jobs related to data analysis, cybersecurity, and even in fields of research like robotics would be created. An interesting aspect of robots doing the work is that people will have a much better work-life balance and they will like to spend time somewhere else like recreation. In the USA, the recreation industry has grown by more than 24% in the last 5 years, and this trend will keep going upward in the future too. We might see people being employed in many unconventional sectors too following their passions. Also, if some tasks like household work can be automated, many women, especially from countries like India, join the workforce and help them grow the economy. This will also lead to the demolishing of gender stereotypes and even a change in the social status of women. In such a scenario, robots will only increase the income of the families and cause a job shift for many, which will seem like a social revolution.

Currently, both the utopian and dystopian views regarding this impact differ a lot, and both seem to be right in isolation of the other. On the one hand, we recognize the fact that technology historically has always created more jobs than it has destroyed, increased disposable income, and might even bring about social justice. Still, an alternate view is also that this revolution might be entirely different and even bring about income inequality. Thus, it can be concluded that robotics or any other technological advancement can be successful as long as the will of people implementing it. Hence, decision making by us today will decide whether robots will replace us or not. Or Should we leave this decision also to our Robots?