In a world that’s always evolving, there’s no doubt that we’ve seen more things change in the last decade or so, than the last few hundred years.
From the way the internet has completely revolutionised everything we do, to how manufacturing has advanced our electronics for the likes of RS Components – we’ve seen a lot of change in a very short space of time.
But, when it comes to manufacturing, it’s an area we should keep an eye on, as automation is set to change this in the next few years.
World of Automation
Automation, or the robot revolution, is something we’ve seen happening around us for the last decade or so. From the help of Siri on our phones to the recent uptake of voice-controlled technology at home. It was reported recently by Amazon that 100 million Alexa devices had been sold.
While this may seem great at home, helping us to turn the lights on and control the heating, this automation is set to disrupt the manufacturing industry anytime now. In fact, it was reported recently that as many as 25% of jobs in the US could be at threat by automation.
With the ‘boring and repetitive’ jobs expected to be hit hardest, this would have a detrimental effect on many people. It was reported that men were more likely to be at risk of losing jobs, while those aged between 16 and 24 were most at-risk age wise. Meanwhile, it was the Hispanic community, followed by American Indian and then the black community who would see the greatest threats to their jobs.
It wasn’t just people who were at risk, but whole industries. The food and preparation service industry was at the highest risk, followed by production operations and then office and administrate support.
But, while these are scary statistics, could a robot take your job? And do you have anything to really worry about?
The Future
Well, the answer to the above is both yes and no. While there’s no doubt that robots could do a number of jobs humans can, the chances of them taking over isn’t 100% guaranteed.
We only have to remember that we’ve been here before, time and time again. The first example of this was over 500 years ago when a patent for a knitting machine was denied for fear of young women losing their jobs. Today the concerns are on robots, but while the robotics industry and computers have advanced, the full take over hasn’t happened. But that doesn’t mean it won’t.
But, as robots can’t think like humans, it’s expected that robots won’t steal jobs, and will instead work side-by-side to make jobs easier for people. However, with that in mind, it is expected that people will start to develop their ‘soft skills’ as jobs will no doubt deplete slightly, but not at the accelerated rate that’s expected. So, overall, there doesn’t appear to be too much to worry about.
