Will Robots Take Our Jobs
Technology is probably the fastest-growing medium worldwide. In less than 50 years, the high-tech sector has evolved and changed drastically. Given man’s constant need to develop and progress, it was only natural that the next stage of technological development would be the construction of robots.
Before robots finally became part of the work of artificial intelligence engineers and technicians, they were for decades a favorite subject of philosophers, writers and film producers. Thus began the development of machines resembling human beings. Robots are already poised to change the way we work and our lifestyles.
But where do they come from?
The origins of early modern technology are found in the history of the computer. Then came the internet and the shift from cell phones to smartphones. The evolution of technology has opened up new horizons and new possibilities. Today, the revolution is going even further with the development of artificial intelligence, cognitive systems, robots, and their collaboration with humans.
Based on the etymology of the word “robot ”, used since 1920, it means “mechanical man” or “forced laborer” (from Czech Robotnik). Czech writer, playwright and critic Karel Capek first used it in his play “RUR” (“Rossum’s Universal Robots”). It proves that robots were “born” as human inspiration, so they can compete with us and…eventually win.
Many tasks that were previously performed by humans will now be automated. I don’t have an answer to this question. It is one of society’s most confusing problems.
John Sculley
Predictions about the impact robots will have on society are either positive or negative. While it is true that some occupations have become obsolete due to the use of computers, new occupations related to information technology and software have emerged to fill this void. The development of robotics opens up a new field of collaboration for humans. So are robots really going to take our jobs?
Robots In The Workplace
Many manufacturers are taking advantage of new technological possibilities, such as automated production, smart data, IoT, and machine learning. Robots are used all over the world, mainly in the automotive and electronics assembly sectors. They can perform repetitive tasks and are programmed to perform certain functions, such as picking, packing, and placing components.
Men perform less well, whether due to fatigue, poor posture while working or the risk of respiratory injury. Robots, on the other hand, can perform such tasks without pause and with extreme precision. This results in a higher number of parts and a better quality of finished products.
Thanks to force and torque sensors, robots can now perform tasks that require “human sense”, such as sanding and polishing irregular objects. Thus, robots can now perform tasks that previously had to be performed by professionals. This kind of case clearly introduces cause for concern that a human role may be replaced.
According to a 2020 World Economic Forum report, 85 million jobs could be displaced by a change in the division of labor between humans and machines. Most sources, however, claim that Industry 5.0 will create more jobs for people than it will take away.
We have all become anomalies in the world of AI, but we have the power to triumph. If we open our minds and accept the differences that make us human, we have a chance to preserve our humanity in the age of AI.
Ayanna Howard, Sex, Race, and Robots – How to Be Human in the Age of AI
But how do you use this new technology to grow your business?
No one has yet built a perpetual motion model that works properly, but the robotics industry is booming and robots are already influencing people’s lives. Today, many manufacturers and factories depend on automation. Unlike humans, machines don’t need to take breaks and can perform repetitive tasks with precision.
The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will amplify that efficiency. The second is that it increases the inefficiency of inefficient processes .”
Bill Gates
As communication in the world is constantly evolving, society should now be open to the fifth revolution, in which collaboration between humans and robots will change the way businesses operate. Robots will work alongside humans and compliment us in tasks that are generally not too demanding or too dangerous for humans. This means that work can be shared and improved through collaborative robots. Below are examples of collaborative robots used by major brands.
Meet EVA – The Industrial Robotic Arm
In the manufacturing industry, with the growth of Industry 4.0, automotive robots performing repetitive tasks like EVA, the industrial arm robot, are becoming popular. Automata’s Eva robotic arm can typically be used for machine control, product control, inspection, sorting, and laboratory automation. To learn more, read and listen to our EVA robot webinar to learn about its functions, capabilities, and applications.
OMRON robots at the service of people
Omron’s collaborative robot is designed to work with humans and machines. It has an integrated image processing system and its built-in camera locates objects in a wide field of view. Using technologies such as force feedback, low inertia servo motors, elastic actuators and collision detection technology, collaborative robots are designed to work safely with human operators. For companies, this means more efficiency and more safety in the workplace.
SparkFun uARM Swift pro robot assistant
SparkFun uArm Swift Pro-Assistant is an open-source, DIY robotic arm platform for DIY enthusiasts and the education sector, based on an Arduino Mega 2560. It is a very capable desktop robotic assistant that possesses well more features than its predecessors.
ABB YuMi two-arm collaborative robot
In 2015, ABB unveiled the YuMi robot. By combining the unique ability of humans to adapt to change and the tireless endurance of robots for precise and repetitive tasks, it is possible to automate the assembly of many types of products on the same line. According to the brand, YuMi is “designed for a new era of automation”.
6 sectors that already use robots
Everyone uses robots in their daily life. Scientists, engineers, and doctors use robots to facilitate and improve their work. These examples can be artificial intelligent applications, cooking robots, defense robots or servants.
Manufacturing industry
The manufacturing industry is one of the largest sectors in which robots are used. Manufacturing robots are also safer to use. With the help of cameras, sensors, and auto-off features, advanced technologies can make the workplace more sustainable and easier to use. Advanced automation and Industry 5.0 are some of the developments in industrial manufacturing for this year. If you’re interested in improving your factory, check out smart factories that are transforming manufacturing.
Agriculture
Similar to manufacturing, in agriculture robots increase productivity by reducing overall costs and adopting different forms of robotic technology. Find out how the growth of technology and investments in automation are improving agriculture. Farmers are already using self-guided GPS tractors, harvesters and robots to replace missing labor.
Internet Support
The online assistance provided by robots often referred to as “chatbots” or voice-enabled personal assistants, are capable of some level of natural language understanding. They can answer many daily questions, but also forward questions that require human intervention. “Samantha,” in Spike Jonze’s sci-fi film Her , is an example of such a clever voice control system. But in the real world, too, many people are already communicating with smart voice control systems, like Alexa and Siri. Companies are investing in such bots internally to handle IT support requests.
Medical robots
Another sector in which robots play an important role is medicine. Medical robots are well known, especially in surgery, such as the da Vinci robot, which assists surgeries by helping patients lose less blood, reduce the risk of infection, and speeding healing. In such procedures, collaborative robots effectively replace an employee. The medical staff can thus devote themselves to other tasks and the costs of medical interventions can be reduced.
Nevertheless, the question arises as to whether patients will accept that robots are increasingly used and which ones are better – the ones that look like humans or the others? If they all looked like “Baymax” in the Big Hero 6 movie, probably nobody would have anything against them.
Food preparation
Could you imagine a robot waiter, cook or bartender like in the movie Passengers by Morten Tyldum? Automated and intelligent robots will be able to prepare and cook hundreds of meals. We already use a few food processors that help us prepare certain meals faster and without intervention.
Military
Robots are a frequent aid, both in the military and in public safety. Drones can for example be used to monitor and support battlefield operations. These military drones can access danger levels in hostage situations and provide real-time information to soldiers and first responders.
The future of robots and humans
As already mentioned, we are already surrounded by robots. They generally improve people’s work and broaden their horizons to explore new technological possibilities. It also creates new job opportunities. If we compare previous industrial revolutions, there doesn’t seem to be a risk of robots taking our jobs.
The development of automation in Industry 4.0 has already proven that we can collaborate with machines and improve efficiency and quality. The fifth industrial revolution must bring collaboration between men and robots, with mass production being replaced by production for the individual.
Will reality be like in movies or science fiction books? We will know soon. Some films present a kind of catastrophic view of robots, like in Alex Garland’s Ex Machina, where the AI defeats the humans. The creator of Ex Machina says: “One day AI will look at us the same way we look at fossil skeletons on the plains of Africa. A monkey living in the dust with a language and rudimentary tools, ready to disappear”.
However, movies do not always reflect reality. But these sci-fi technologies no longer just exist in movies, they already exist in reality. And developers and AI engineers are going one step further, trying to create machines that look almost human-like. So it’s up to you whether that means competition for us.
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