Emerging Technologies and Employment

Robotic, Effect on Society Today, Jobs, and Future Advancements Advances in technology in recent times have lifted computers, softwares and robots to a level that almost pairs them with humans; in terms of what they can do. These developments have made the machines effective to the extent that they even beat humans in several respects. They can process tons of data in a short while and carry out commands without the biases that are common with human judgment. Unlike humans, the machines do not need breaks.

They do not experience concentration lapses like humans do. These technological advances will provide numerous benefits to humanity. New services, goods, jobs, markets and greater productivity are only some of the benefits that accrue from the technological gains (Wong, 2015). Although these machines have introduced significant changes in human life, including employment, there is little information that analyses their impact on the latter. This paper aims at evaluating the effect of robotics on the modern society, including how they affect the employment dynamics and future developments.

A conspicuous and significant fear is whether some professions might be interrupted by the presence of these technologies. The fears emanate from such dynamics as whether the traditional tasks performed by those who have just entered the field can now be carried out by the emerging technologies and consequently rendering their career progression unpredictable. In these situations, it means that such people's role and career advancement will have been thrown into a spin. Some most immediate examples in mind include careers related to accountancy and law.

Entry level tasks in these areas are likely to be transferred to the robotics. Research and tasks involving cleaning of financial data for further processing and computations can be done with ease compared to more complex cognitive tasks such as providing problem solutions and framing. The higher order tasks are usually performed by more senior professionals in organizations (Wong, 2015).

Such traditional methods as taking workers from the upgrading of their skills will no longer be a safeguard against such workers vulnerability for lay-offs because they no longer render relevance to an organization. The new automation wave poses a real risk to entry level workers. Therefore, the only way to survive for these workers is to take up new job skills and pursue jobs that significantly differ from what they have been doing traditionally.

Many governments today try to help the lower cadre workers to take up better employment opportunities by training and educating them. This trend will determine the fate of workers across the employment spectrum. This also means that governments should work with various stakeholders to figure out pre-employment and post employment training.

Institutions should provide training that enables professionals to keep up to speed with the emerging trends (Wong, 2015) The method that the government uses to adapt to the technological advances such as Automated Vehicles determines how widespread technologies will go and how fast it moves. Autonomous vehicles provide humans with a chance to redesign solutions for mobility and thus, create jobs in a new sector. However, such autonomy also raises a number of questions about who should take responsibility in case of liabilities.

The dilemma is about whether it is the manufacturer of the machines, the software developer, the passenger or the owner of the AV (Wong, 2015). Given the extent of the disruption caused by emerging technologies and robotics in the field of employment, including their potential in the future calls for careful assessment and intervention by governments in order to safeguard the livelihoods of their citizens. It should be an integrated approach that seeks to find solutions and explore the opportunities that come with the developments (Wong, 2015).

While, on one hand, the emerging technologies can and have improved the quality of services, enhanced efficiencies and reduced the cost of goods, they have also led to the displacement of many workers and continue to pose such risk in the future. The effect of automation is already being felt all over the economic spectrum. The number of industrial robots has increased tremendously across the globe in the past couple of years. The prices of these machines have also reduced and made them attractive economic-wise as compared to humans.

They can work all day without interruptions and breaks. Computer based algorithms can execute thousands of transactions in a split second; in the financial and trade services sector. This is clearly much faster than what any human being can do. The technologies have a way of expanding their spheres of influence as they become more effective and more acceptable in societies across the globe. They keep finding new use in the economy by the day.

The Great Recession is believed to have partly contributed to the current obsession with automated technologies. Many businesses were forced to operate with less staff because of economic constraints. These businesses still found use for the robots despite the resumption of normal economic trends and growth. They found it to be cheaper than hiring extra workers (West & Karsten, 2015). There is general disagreement by experts as far as the extent of the effects of automation on employment and the workforce is concerned.

Some of them have raised a red flag for employees. Others have pointed to the opposite direction and suggested that technologies have and will continue to create new employment opportunities in new categories. They argue that displaced workers in such sectors will be absorbed in the new areas. Another group postulates that computers will not influence future employment trends in any way.

It is however evident that any policies for the future, aimed at addressing employment prospects must take into consideration the possible outcomes of the technology developments (West & Karsten, 2015). There has been an ebb and flow of fears regarding technological unemployment for several decades now. However, recent debates have sparked concerns regarding the possibility of humans inventing themselves to doom as far as the way the economic role of the inventions interact with their general welfare.

Although there is widespread appreciation of the unimaginable feats these technologies can reach, the issue of whether they will lead to massive unemployment remains a controversial subject. A good number of economists remain optimistic and dismiss the notion that the automated technologies will significantly upset the economic order in place. Nevertheless, there is an area of the economy that technology has pushed human input to the sidelines, and that is in the manufacturing sector. Manufacturing in the United States doubled between 1975 and 2011 (Dashevsky (2016).

The data states that the number of unemployed people in the US reduced by a 31% margin in this period. These developments occurred despite globalization and NAFTA. The automation trend affects nations worldwide. China has also experienced these developments and their manufacturing output increased by 70% between 1996 and 2008. Employment rates in the manufacturing sector declined by 25%, in China, in the same period. The concern is whether the trend will be similar in other sectors, particularly, the services sector (Dashevsky, 2016).

With the risks brought by automated technologies, there needs to be a way of cushioning people from adverse effects by providing such benefits as medical insurance and assistance along housing needs. This can be achieved through the emerging flexible security idea. This should be granted; irrespective of whether one is employed or not. In case of persistent unemployment, benefits such as expansion of earned income tax credit, provision of a guaranteed basic earning and promoting sharing of corporate income should be considered (West & Karsten, 2015).

The question of how people will spend their time outside of traditional employment is one that needs analysis. Lifelong education programs could be financed by volunteering for noble causes. Fewer hours of work means that people will find more time to spend with family. Even if society will need fewer workers, there must be a way that will ensure that people lead quality lives (West & Karsten, 2015). The common school movement was arguably a parallel revolution alongside Industrial revolution.

Society realized that it was essential for all children to acquire an education, thanks to the economic pressures. Students in the common schools established at the time were taught skills that were standardized. They were also encouraged to adhere to routine. It helped them to evolve into useful factory personnel. There is a technology revolution but there isn't any parallel education revolution. The rift between the education system and the modern economy is huge. There is a need to prepare people for a new landscape that evolves with technology.

It is clear that the need to promote learning of soft skills that.