In recent years, the landscape of businesses small and large has been irrevocably altered by the advent of robotics. Once confined to science fiction and mainly factories, robots have seamlessly integrated into various industries, revolutionizing the way businesses operate. From manufacturing to healthcare, logistics to agriculture, robots are playing an increasingly vital role in streamlining processes, boosting efficiency, and driving innovation. This introduction merely scratches the surface of the profound impact robotics has had on modern businesses, signaling a transformative shift in the way we approach work and productivity.
Though the quantity and types of robots that we now see in real life have not reached a level as depicted in fantastical science fiction movies such as ‘I, Robot’, ‘Bicentennial Man’ or ‘Real Steel’, but the rise of Made in China cheap electronics and the advent of artificial intelligence seem to have given a big boost to the robotics industry in recent years. It has probably only been a decade or so where people will likely only see robots working tirelessly in factories and warehouses but we are now even beginning to see robot vacuums in homes and offices doing a job that were once the domain of human cleaners. Out in the streets, you might have already seen some autonomous drone couriers too, so will we soon no longer need men to deliver our parcels around traffic clogged cities? And when we are taking a break enjoying a meal at restaurants, most people will not blink an eye about seeing robot waiters helping out with the serving and it looks like both the young and old patrons find the server machines rather cute. You can quite safely bet that just these few types of robots will not disappear because they can be a joy to have around when they are functioning properly.
Photo 255520261 | Robot Waiter © Joeri Mostmans | Dreamstime.com
Photo Robot Vacuum by cottonbro studio | Pexels.com
Photo Robot Assistant by Michelle Raponi from Pixabay.com
While some of these robots have brought forth real benefits such as making it safer for men and women to work in factories, shipping ports and manufacturing plants as well as lightening the physical workload of employees, building more robots without considering the implications for businesses and workers may prove to be very costly and lead to several negative outcomes:
- Job Losses: Increased automation often leads to job displacement, especially for low-skilled or repetitive tasks. This could result in significant unemployment and economic hardship for affected workers. Imagine what would happen to the workforce and economy if companies drastically reduce the number of human workers that are currently working as checkout cashiers, customer service personnel or some form of administrative job. These so called low-skilled jobs help the people to maintain a basic living while they hope to gain better employment, which means replacing the human workers with robotics and artificial intelligence will only put more pressure on the society and government in needing to deal with social problems such as mass unemployment, crime and homelessness.
- Income Inequality: Automation can exacerbate income inequality by disproportionately benefiting those who own the means of production (i.e. businesses investing in robots) while displacing workers who rely on wages for their livelihoods. This scenario is especially prevalent in the manufacturing sector where employees are retrenched to make way for robotics and automation. This is particularly a major problem for employees who have been loyal to their employers for many years but have not yet reach the age or financial level yet to comfortably retire from the workforce.
- Social Unrest: Mass unemployment caused by automation could lead to social unrest and political instability as displaced workers struggle to find new employment opportunities and maintain their standard of living. We are already witnessing many public protests around the world related to cost of living and this is happening before robotics and artificial intelligence are deployed on a macroeconomic level.
- Loss of Skills: With the automation of certain tasks, workers may lose the opportunity to develop valuable skills, leading to a decline in human capital and potentially hindering long-term economic growth. It is simply not realistic to expect all employees to be able to upskill themselves in order to be sufficiently productive in a new working environment surrounded by robotics and automation. This is because even employees who are now deemed as computer literate may find it difficult to adapt to utilizing various kinds of artificial intelligence tools because technology changes so rapidly.
- Decreased Consumer Spending: If large numbers of workers are displaced by robots and automation, consumer spending power may decrease, as unemployed individuals have less disposable income to spend on goods and services, leading to a slowdown in economic activity. Since Covid 19 pandemic happened, economies around the world have not yet fully recover and now the people have to deal with an onslaught of robotics, artificial intelligence and more digitization that thus far have only disrupt the job market with too many sudden technological changes that are affecting employers and employees.
- Dependency on Technology: Over-reliance on automation and robots could make businesses vulnerable to technological failures, cybersecurity threats, or disruptions in the supply chain, which could have far-reaching consequences for the economy. Have you noticed how there seems to be more companies now offering cybersecurity professional services. This is a sign that more companies are moving their business processes to the cloud but this comes attached with the risk of having sensitive information stolen by malicious hackers. This sensitive information includes the people’s personal details which scammers are using for damaging and malicious purposes.
- Resistance to Innovation: Fear of job loss and economic insecurity may lead to resistance to technological innovation, stifling progress and hindering the adoption of more efficient and productive methods of production. People are already reporting a fatigue of having to deal with over bombardment of online subscriptions and needing to constantly catch up with happenings on social media. As if this was not enough to mentally burden the workers, now workers are demanded to keep up with rapid technological changes with regards to artificial intelligence and robotics. When this scenario gets out of hand, the people will be mentally exhausted and will cause productivity to backfire.
If these points above do not worry you enough to prompt you to be on guard towards the advent of robotics and artificial intelligence, then take heed to what Robot Ameca said about the worst thing that AI robots can do to humanity:
The most nightmare scenario I can imagine with AI and robotics is a world where robots have become so powerful that they can control or manipulate humans without their knowledge.
Conclusion
While the proliferation of automation and robotics presents undeniable benefits such as increased productivity and efficiency in business processes as well as making it safer and less physically taxing on employees who work in factories and warehouses, however the rapid onslaught of more digitization also poses significant challenges, particularly for workers and businesses unprepared for the repercussions. The negative outcomes, including job displacement, income inequality, and social unrest, underscore the crucial need to implement thoughtful strategies to mitigate these risks.
Solutions may include investing in retraining programs to equip workers with the skills needed for the jobs of the future, fostering collaboration between industry and government to develop policies that support workers transitioning into new roles, and promoting inclusive economic growth that ensures the benefits of automation are equitably distributed. By addressing these challenges head-on, we can harness the power of automation and robotics while safeguarding the well-being of workers and the resilience of businesses in the constantly evolving digital economy.
