We are on the cusp of a new era in which automation will drastically change the way we live and work. But what exactly is automation? And how will it impact our lives? This article will go through the implications of automation and how it will affect our children, jobs, careers, and personal relationships. By understanding these changes in light of today’s changing world, we can prepare for the future.
Automation is a process by which a machine or system replaces one or more tasks previously performed manually. Automation can eliminate the need for human labor or reduce the amount of human labor required to accomplish a task. It is a technology that many experts believe will revolutionize our lives.
Ways On How Will Automation Impact Our Lives
The overall number of task hours done by humans will fall by 13% by 2022.
Displaced workers may find new jobs in the automation technologies industry. As productivity increases, so does job growth. However, these new jobs may require different skills than the ones workers previously had.
1. Your Morning Commute Will Be More Pleasant
Your morning commute will become less of a chore since it will be a lot quicker. You’ll be able to read the news over breakfast instead of sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic. “Self-driving vehicles” can cater to specific needs, such as safety or comfort, and provide an efficient, environmentally friendly way to move people and goods around cities.
2. Robots May Take Your Job
You shouldn’t be afraid of robots taking over your job because they can sometimes perform tasks more effectively than humans can. For example, a robot can carry multiple packages without restocking.
In factories, robots can handle dangerous tasks, such as welding and polishing. Employees should be thankful they were replaced by a machine that doesn’t need breaks or days off, and never calls out sick.
3. You’ll Have More Leisure Time
Robots are already performing many tasks that humans once did, allowing us to spend our time on more enjoyable activities. For example, robots tidy up the house now instead of your parents having to wash dishes after every meal you had growing up.
You could travel with technology, rather than a tour guide. You could even work from home and watch TV or go for walks. Robots can do much more for us than just performing low-skill tasks.
4. Your Children Will Have Fewer Toys
Babies love toys that move around and make noise, but they don’t need to play with these toys anymore because robots can already do all the intricate movements. Some robots even speak to you, so it doesn’t hurt to record your voice or talk to “yourself”. You don’t need to worry about your children being spoiled because they won’t know the difference between a toy and a life-size robot that talks back to them.
5. You Won’t Need To Feed Your Pets
Want to know a money-saving tip? Eliminate meal preparation, shopping trips, and cleaning up after you feed your pet by opting for a robotic pet instead. Your dog will be healthier because it won’t have the opportunity to pick up diseases from other pets in the dog park.
6. You Won’t Need A Personal Assistant
Since robots can perform a variety of tasks, you can get rid of your personal assistant since they can do almost anything you ask them. Since they can read your emotions, they will know when you’re in the mood for listening to music.
7. Your Career Won’t Be Affected
Because robots don’t experience burnout, fatigue or getting sick, they can work 24 hours a day on a variety of projects. They can produce great work without the emotional problems that humans experience in the workplace.
Right now employers are hesitant to replace human employees with machines because they only seem to be able to do repetitive tasks. However, advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence may allow robots to do more complex tasks in the near future.
8. You Can Take A Vacation Anytime You Want, Anyplace You Want
Even if you’re on a tight budget, the cost of traveling will be cheaper. Since your robotic chauffeur doesn’t require breaks or days off, you can travel at any time and enjoy the same kind of comfort in both daytime and nighttime hours. You won’t have to worry about getting lost because this artificial intelligence will drive and guide you to your destination.
9. You’ll Spend More Time With Friends And Family
Since your daily commute will be less tedious, you’ll have more time to spend with friends and family. They will be able to spend more time together, whether it’s an afternoon barbecue or a weekend getaway. You won’t have to worry about your friends and family getting sick for fear of missing out on going out because you’ll be able to take them anywhere at any time.
10. Your Children Won’t Receive Unwarranted Discipline
You may not need to enforce your principles on your children because they won’t have the same rebellious attitude as they grow older. They will be protected from any inappropriate behavior thanks to robots that are fully capable of thinking and feeling. Your son or daughter will grow up knowing what’s right and what’s wrong, without being taught hollow values that don’t help their real-life situations later on in life.
How Will Automation Vary By Industry Sector
Transportation, storage, and manufacturing are the three businesses most at risk from automation.
Automation will vary by industry, depending on the task it is performing. For example, a robot that retrieves items for a retail store will have a more complex task than one that does data entry.
Industries like: Government, Agriculture, Health care & Scientific research
The way automation is being implemented depends on the type of position and overall tasks involved within an industry. Automation is viewed as a potential equalizer in fields such as health care and farming, where those with physical labor would be replaced by machines.
This shift would create jobs for other professionals to take over what’s now performed by humans. In government, automation would free up resources from the workforce to be used elsewhere in policy-making and administration.
Ways On How Can We Speed Up Our Technology And Automation Adoption
In the United States, 33% of new jobs are for occupations that did not exist 25 years ago.
1. Improve Tools And Systems To Speed Up The Adoption
Automation or technology can be implemented in a very effective way when there is a clear vision of what we are trying to achieve. This can lead to faster implementation of automation or technology, as long as it’s based on well-defined goals. Wherever possible, paper-based processes should be replaced with digital ones whenever possible.
2. Use New Technologies And Skills
When automation is implemented it shouldn’t reduce the number of jobs that need to be done. On the contrary, the use of new technologies and skills could actually increase the number of opportunities for people in these roles.
3. Use It As A Platform
Technology companies can benefit from automation as a platform to tap new markets and expand their workforces. The integration of artificial intelligence into the workforce is already happening. Or a technology company can use it to access new markets or increase the number of people who use its services.
4. Partner With Industry Leaders
Automation and technology are no longer cutting edge anymore, so it’s crucial for market leaders to partner with tech companies that specialize in automation and AI so that they can integrate their products or services rather than replicate them.
5. Modernize The Workplace
The workplace should be optimized with automation tools so that employees have the tools they need to achieve their targets. The work styles should be changed to incorporate more self-directed working, or allow employees to have more flexible working hours.
For example, automated technology may be used to create an improved task management system, so that employees can see what they have come up with, and their actions are clearer in terms of helping them meet their goals.
6. Look At It From A Different Angle
The human element should not be overlooked when it comes to implementing technology solutions and automation systems. Times are changing and the world needs to modernize its systems. The role of the human should be changed from one of being a slave to a pioneer, creating new solutions that leverage on technology and automation.
7. Push For Cultural Change
There is a huge influence on culture and societal norms when it comes to technological adoption. How we react to technological change will determine whether we’re able to adapt or will become obsolete in our approach.
It’s important for societies to come together and push for cultural change in general, because letting go of old ways is going to be very difficult, especially when it comes from those who have been living with the same challenges for centuries already.
Benefits Of Automation
There are economic benefits to lifelong learning. The industrial revolution led to automated processes that replaced many manual tasks. This increased productivity and led to higher wages and improved living standards. Other factors, such as the development of new technologies and the globalization of the economy, have also contributed to these economic benefits.
1. Reduce Labor Demand
Automation has the potential to reduce labor demand for multiple reasons. As machines take over tasks, there is less need for human workers to manage them. Furthermore, automation raises the productivity of manual laborers and these individuals are no longer in need of a large workforce as they used to be. The presence of robots may also increase the total wage in an economy because wages will rise for humans that compete with automation.
2. Increase Profits
If businesses can reduce wage costs by using technology and automation, there’s a good chance that their profitability will increase as well.
3. Increase Efficiency
Automation will increase efficiency in many ways. Businesses will be able to scale with their operations and have food on the table for more people as a result. Increased efficiency could then bring about more business and this may result in creating more jobs.
4. Reduce The Number Of Workers Needed
In the United States, automation could potentially make up for about 70 percent of the jobs lost because of the impact it has in reducing labor demand for companies that use it, as mentioned previously.
During this time, there’s still a need to keep employees working so that businesses can maintain their standard of living and make enough profit from their investments, which is another important benefit of automation.
5. Reduce The Risk Of Accidents
Automation can make many processes safer than they would be if humans were doing them. Automation will reduce the risk of workplace accidents which can be a life-threatening danger for workers that are exposed to it all the time.
6. Keep Employees Happy
Another benefit is that automation has the potential to keep employees happier. In many cases, automation will make workers more productive, which is a positive side effect because productivity is increased with the use of technology and automation.
Risks Of Automation
37% of workers are concerned about losing their jobs as a result of automation.
As wages decline and other jobs disappear, the job quality also diminishes. To retrain workers for new jobs, the government must invest in education and training programs.
1. Loss Of Jobs
Automation and technology can put a lot of people out of work if it isn’t properly used. What this means is that there is a constant competition for scarce resources such as labor, which will change the way companies operate.
2. Technology Out-Of-Date
Similarly, automation and technology can be outdated very quickly because the latest technology may not be able to keep up with changes in society or the demands of business. This can mean that old technologies or processes need to be replaced by new ones in order to ensure that their products or services are competitive against other companies in their field.
3. Workers Will Lose Their Jobs
More than 70% of people are prepared to better their career prospects by augmenting their brains and bodies.
Robots are being used to replace humans in industries such as manufacturing, and the use of automation can also contribute to unemployment. This is because some people may be unable to adapt to the changes that automation brings about.
4. Social Friction
Technology and automation can also create social problems if it’s not used properly. In some places, individuals may not be able to adapt to the changes that automation creates, which can result in protests or riots against technology companies for replacing human workers. This can create unnecessary friction between communities as they lose people from their communities as a result of technological changes.
5. Technology Can Fail
Technology can fail, and it could mean that businesses are unable to perform to their fullest capabilities as a result.
6. Economic Slowdown
An economic slowdown or depression could also occur due to automation and its changing influence on the economy. If businesses don’t have any workers left, then there’s nobody left to buy their products. This is a problem that many companies are trying to get around, with robots that can sell products for them or face-recognition systems in place so that customers can buy the product without needing any help from an employee.
Final Note
By 2030, robots could displace 20 million manufacturing jobs.
There is going to be a major change in the way companies are operated, and it will come from the technology and automation that makes these companies more competitive. The future will see many new changes when it comes to how businesses operate, such as self-checkouts at grocery stores. These tasks are being taken on by machines which are replacing human workers.
Another automation that we could see in the near future is the use of virtual assistants under customer service, which may help answer questions, process orders and make reservations for customers.
Some companies might have these systems speak directly to their customers for them instead of an employee doing so, which may provide services without any need for an employee at all.
The future is bright for businesses. With the right use of technology and automation, many industries are prepared to grow into their full potential and contribute to a more efficient, effective and profitable business.
This means that the need for human workers will decrease because companies will not be requiring as many people for their operations. This could mean that human workers are needed less in the long term because there’s a higher demand for them.
As a result of this, there’s going to be an increased need for labor, but it will not require as many workers as before because of automation.
Last Updated on October 11, 2023 by Priyanshi Sharma