Automation, AI, and the Future of Work
The incorporation of technological inventions and innovations into systems and processes has enhanced the efficiency and effectiveness of several industries in the global economy. Currently, technological advancements underscore the success of most businesses, which consistently improve their systems, processes, and procedures as the only way to attain efficiency and effectiveness in the modern age. Businesses that fail to conform to technology risks losing value (Autor, 5th min). Organizations with place technological integration at the heart of their strategy enjoy a greater competitive advantage, making them withstand the stiffening competition in the business environment. However, critics of work automation and artificial intelligence continue to hold that these technologies pose a direct threat to employment opportunities. On the contrary, a cost-benefit analysis would reveal that the adoption of technological automation into procedures and processes is a step in the right direction as it will transform the workforce by changing job descriptions and job specifications as well as job content. Through this, there will be an increase in employment opportunities, which will only require the adoption of new skills and levels of expertise through training.
The Luddite Movement
Automation has been facing criticism since the advent of mechanization. The Luddite movement emerged at the beginning of the 19th century, a period in which mechanization took precedence along the production line of different industries (Clancy, pg 394). The Luddite movement opposed the adoption of automatic machines with the sole reason that it undermined the level of expertise of the skilled craftsmen of those days. The movement was formed by British weavers and textile workers who feared that the adoption of highly mechanized machines would rob them of their source of livelihood (Stöllinger pg 9). The trend continues in the contemporary world. Some individuals criticize the adoption of automation into business systems and procedures as they saw this as a step that will lead to massive loss of jobs. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
How automation Impacted the US Economy over Time between 19th And 20th Centuries
In the late 19th century, an American firm, the Waltham Watch Company, developed a technology known as the Transfer Machine, which initiated further development and refinement of the production line technology to what has been today’s conveyor belt (Smith 13). The transfer machine conveyed products and materials from one station to the next and positioned them for the next machine tool. It made the dream of mass production possible upon the onset of industrialization, and as a result, the United States started to establish itself in the global trading arena. Further investment in technology during the mid 20th century made the development of information processing equipment, computer-aided design field (CAD), and computer-aided manufacturing field (CAM) possible (Acemoglu et al. 8).
Computer-aided design made testing of production methods possible by utilizing computer-based software in gauging the ability of each design to produce the goods in accordance with the desired manner. The adoption of computer-aided technologies led to an increase in production volumes while reducing the number of employees required to complete specific tasks. Additionally, the adoption of these technologies changed the structure of the labor workforce. Initially, men significantly dominated the labor workforce as it was presumed that women less physically fit for industrial jobs. However, since the adoption of these technologies, a greater number of female laborers joined the workforce as these technologies eliminated the need for muscle strength in the workplace.
Current Use of Automation in Workforce
Traditionally automation required expensive servers and a team of experts for maintenance, making it favorable for only large-scale corporations (Uzialko, para 20). However, the development of cloud-based platforms has made automaton easily accessible for small scale use. Given the expanding adoption of automation, businesses currently enjoy a reduction in production costs, improved productivity, higher reliability, and performance. For instance, customer service departments are using different automation technologies such as Chatbots, which have immensely facilitated customer interactions. With time, through further technological enhancements, automated technologies like Chatbots will be delivering the actual services meaning that human labor will be of less importance in the future.
Additionally, Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is currently being used in implementing several back-office tasks (Wright para 14). RPA is software with machine learning and AI capabilities that capture, manipulate, and process data with limited human involvement. For instance, it is utilized in ledger reconciliation to highlight errors. It is also being used to assess insurance claims by insurance companies across the globe. If such technological advancement continues, careers such as accounting and auditing will be at risk of going extinct. Therefore, there is a need for further training that can allow for the acquisition of better skills.
Application of Artificial Intelligence in the Workforce
The incorporation of artificial intelligence into business processes and systems has resulted in cost-effectiveness and efficiency. Several industries, including healthcare, education, and automotive, are currently applying artificial intelligence (Shah para 10). The healthcare sector uses robotics in healthcare surgeries. Artificial intelligence-enabled robotic surgery is currently regarded as highly skilled with close to perfection accuracy, resulting in less pain and less blood loss. The Electronic Health Record (EHRs) is also an artificial intelligence product that is used in organizing information and documenting data in the healthcare industry. The education sectors use artificial intelligence-powered robots, which help students in learning new languages, reading and also help disabled children to gain vital social skills (Noonan para 7). Technology presents an imminent threat to teachers by eliminating classroom learning and endorsing self-learning through machine learning technology. The automotive industry has also developed self-driving cars that are designed to understand their environment and ensure safe navigation. Although self-driving cars limit errors and accidents, they also grant drivers jobless.
Possibility of Post Work Society
A post-work society is a completely transformed society in terms of job description and job content. It is a society characterized by the intense utilization of sophisticated machines in production and management. The machines will only be compatible with intensely high skills that only a few individuals in the society will be possessing (Mason para 12). It means a high level of production and efficiency with few employment opportunities. Economically, such a scenario is not ideal for the world economy. It means that there will be an increase in the supply of goods and services while their demand will decrease. There will be a significant reduction in consumers’ spending power since the majority of the society will be unemployed. As a result, the economy will be polarized with no growth. On the other hand, sociologists have predicted that an existential crisis will be triggered in a post-work society (Chessell, pg 75). Human beings will lose meaning in their existence due to their inability to value or care for anything in such a society with too much leisure. Other societal problems, such as increased crime rates, will be automatically triggered in such a society (Mcfee, 3rd min).
Conclusion
Automation is a necessity in the contemporary world, given its benefits of cost-effectiveness and efficiency. Automaton has been criticized right from its introduction in the 19th century. The Luddite movement opposed mechanization due to its direct threat to their source of livelihood. However, it has stood the test of times, and it has provided a significant boost to the world economy by creating numerous employment opportunities over the years. In as much as it threatens employment opportunities by eliminating some jobs within organizations, it continues to generate more by transforming job descriptions and content, thereby changing the skills required. There is a need for constant training and development of workforce skills to take advantage of the opportunities presented by automation.
Work Cited
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