Can we keep our jobs?
That is the question on many people’s minds today. Information technology has been increasing
productivity in many industries. Good
news for employers, bad news for employees.
An article on nbcnews.com entitled, Nine
jobs that humans may lose to robots, informs us why jobseekers should be
concerned. Judith Aquino exclaims, “By
2013 there will be 1.2 million industrial robots working world wide.”
Pharmacies are one
place where you will see robots sooner than later. Information technology will make the process
of getting a prescription much easier.
Computers will fill your prescription electronically and a robot will do
the rest; retrieve the pills, bottling, and then dispensing them. According to this article, one such system
has prepared 350,000 prescriptions without an error.
Lawyers are not safe from information technology
either. People can now use software
instead of paying for an expensive lawyer.
This will help consumers save money if they need basic legal services. This transition may be slower depending on
the confidence level of the public. But
the savings are dramatic. “Blackstone
Discovery of Palo Alto, CA provided software that helped analyze 1.5 million
documents for less than $100,000.”
Drivers should proceed
with caution if they think they have job security. The automated car is coming and companies
like Google are speeding up the process.
Google has already tested seven cars on the road. The results may surprise you. Those cars drove 1,000 miles without human
intervention and over 140,000 miles with minor human intervention. One day “driving” will be possible without
touching the wheel. Imagine sitting in
the driver’s seat and waking up from a nap, as you look outside your window you
see a semi-truck driving 60 mph with no one in the front seat.
Remember that summer job working as a store clerk? Well, thanks to information technology, your
children or grandchildren might not have that memory. When was the last time you talked to a bank
teller? If you are like most Americans
you do the majority of your banking online or through the ATM. Store clerks will eventually have the same
fate. According to this article, Los
Angeles Times reported $740 billion was transacted through self-service
machines in 2010 and by 2014 that number is projected to be $1.1 trillion.
If you pay attention to the news you are aware of
drones. Drones are one reason why human
soldiers will not be needed in the future.
Drones will know who to shoot and not shoot; they will know the
difference between fire and no-fire zones.
A GPS signal will give them an accurate location of targets. This will have some ethical dilemmas, and
more than likely will be a highly debated topic.
Aeon Co. has developed a robot for the purpose of
babysitting, yes babysitting. This
Japanese retailer made a four foot robot that babysits children while the
parents shop at a store. The age of the
children was not in this article but my first thought was, how does a robot
change diapers?
Human safety is important to everyone breathing. For that reason it only makes sense that
information technology would be used as rescuers. Robots can do many things that are humanely impossible. A snakelike robot is used to enter small
spaces, using a camera it will record everything that it comes across. This has the potential to save countless
lives in an event of a building collapse.
Will information technology deliver media content in an entertaining
way? Northwestern University has
developed software that specializes in machine-generated stories. This is a simple and cheap process. For instance, a scorekeeper emails game data,
the software then spits out the game story on the computer in minutes.
Information technology has the potential to touch every job
we know today. When my parents were kids
they dreamed of having flying cars. Now
that I have a child I dream that he will have a job.
By James Todd
References
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/42183592/ns/business-careers/t/nine-jobs-humans-may-lose-robots/#.UTPOKzA4vy0
References
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/42183592/ns/business-careers/t/nine-jobs-humans-may-lose-robots/#.UTPOKzA4vy0
Fifteen years ago I started my career as a Graphic Designer in a print shop. Most of the work was still done by hand and took a craftsman to do it properly. Computers were brought in soon after I get there. Things changed quickly and before we knew it the entire process from design to print was digitized. Technology evolved the task of designing and printing materials into a very efficient and accurate process.
ReplyDeleteI did see a large number of Designer loose their jobs because they were unable to move as quickly as the technology did. You either kept up or left behind. Which is what I believe to be the most difficult part of constant flow of new technology into the workplace.
I still work as a Graphic Designer. But instead of just designing print material, I also now design web sites and create 3D graphics.
I have noticed that if employees don't keep up with learning the new technology then they will get left behind. It seems that every job is evolving.
DeleteIf people don't keep up and learn about the new technologies then they will be left without a paycheck. You have see that first hand. Thank you for your comment
DeleteNow with the creation of robots for certain jobs, do you think down the road the "Man vs. Machine" will be a real thing? At the pace we are going most jobs seem to becoming automated without the need for a person doing the actual work. We have more and more ATMs and fewer bank branches, because an ATM can do most of things a bank teller can do, but probably more efficiently. I would suppose a shift on focusing on creating the technology needed for these robots and drones would the way of future ; instead of the service jobs that are listed.
ReplyDeleteHumans may not need to do any job. One way to think about it is we will not have the burden to go to work and we can just relax or innovate. But I don't think that will happen. The people that can produce the machines will make all the money and if you cant create anything original then you will be with out. Just a few ideas. How do you see the future?
DeleteI agree that robots are slowly taking over many jobs. This can be considered a good and a bad thing. I like the idea of pharmacy robots due to less chance for error.
ReplyDeleteI agree getting the right medication is pretty important.
DeleteI wanted to further the comment posted above by Brian. I agree with your view. I myself work in the banking industry and have firsthand seen an improvement in efficiency. This is mostly credited to improved processing systems. Many tellers are simply company representatives who "process" transactions electronically, but are merely there to provide support and customer assistance. Many in my industry believe the teller title should be changed to, "Processing and Customer Service Rep"...I'm sure those paid to make title changes can come up with something a little more catchy. I wouldn't say teller's are not needed, because many of the job duties they perform require a situational judgement call. However, this is why an improvement in processing technology is critical.
ReplyDeleteWhile automated services such as those provided by ATM's are very effective, they still lack in consistency. I believe a focus should be dedicated to processing systems, in order to eliminate as much processing as possible (by teller). Much like what you see at the airport now. Unless you have a special request, such as checking a bag, you can print boarding passes with zero interaction by frontline staff.
On the blog itself: I like the layout and design. Very easy and fun to read!
Thanks for your comment. Do you think that people would be comfortable using a computer instead of talking directly to a person. If I have a problem I want to hear a humans voice. Maybe people 25 and under will be comfortable with just using an operating system.
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