The technological transformation in the last two decades has been drastic and this trend will continue for the next many decades as robots are increasing replacing jobs that require the engagement of repetitive, customized actions. There are a number of jobs that are at risk of being lost due to automation. The industry of call centers is likely to be impacted by the recent automation trends. Similarly, technological change is also affecting the roles of book-keepers and data processors (Boyle, 2010).
Hence, economic depression, colonization and the mortgage industry are not to be blamed for the loss of jobs. Instead, if truth be told, robots must be blamed for the whole unemployment scenario. Though the manufacturing sector is still playing a powerful role in increasing the GDP in most of the countries, the fact is that this strength is not because of human beings but because of robots. The reality is that automation has invaded workplace and if this remains the same in future, people with less educational aptitude will have to spend their lives sitting on the couch at home (Boyle, 2010).
And what's more, there are a number of particular professions that comprise of normal tasks making them defenseless against mechanization of robots. According to a renowned MIT economist, David Autor, "The middle class is disappearing in large part because technology is rendering middle-class skills obsolete" (as qtd. In Boyle, 2010). As already mentioned, bank cashiers, clerks and people at front desks do work that is greatly monotonous. This is the reason why their jobs are seen to be as the most susceptible to automation. As far as United States of America is concerned, there has been an increased polarization in the jobs from high-skilled and highly-paid against less experienced, less paid jobs. And this polarization is mainly due to automation, increased implementation of Information Technology and employment of robots at the workplace (Boyle, 2010).
As industries are becoming more hi-tech and digital, there is an increased demand for highly-competitive workers at the same time and thumbs down for those who are less educated or less skilled. Thus, robots can be regarded as a militia of domestic collaborators because of whom the requirement for low-skilled human resources has eliminated. It can be easily concluded then that ordinary jobs like that of dishwashers, hairdressers etc. have been taken by the robots so there is no place for ordinary workers in the market currently. This is the reason why industrial robots have been working as the huge mainstream of mechanical employees (Boyle, 2010).
Unfortunately, human beings are turning out as an obsolete fraction at the workplace due to the fact that robots have become smarter than them. Robots are the workers who never get tired or bored and make a less number of mistakes as compared to people. According to estimate, by the end of the current year, the world will have more or less 1.2 million industrial robots which mean that a single robot can do the work of five thousand individuals (Acquino).
At the present moment, documents are being analyzed, prescriptions are being filled and tasks that need picking, placing and handling are done by robots. These are the tasks that were once in need of manual labor. There are a number of jobs that will be replaced by the robots soon. However, the given nine jobs are more vulnerable to automation. Pharmacists are among those unfortunate workers that have the potential to be replaced by robots as robots not only work at the front desks in a pharmacy to fill up prescriptions but also pick and choose, box up, and hand out individual measured quantity of medications. Lawyers and paralegals are also seeing robots as a threat as there is software now that can review documents within seconds making it difficult for human to take up the job. The jobs related to driving vehicles is also at stake because automated transportation is being used now for safeguarding and helping people to reach at work at a faster. Android technology is also taking up jobs of astronauts as it makes cleaning the space station and backing up human beings in various functions in the space easier (Acquino).
Store clerks are also increasingly replaced by robots as the Companies are increasingly seeking ways to hire a small number of employees that can sell a large...
In this connection, bank tellers have been replaced by ATM machines, checkout clerks have given up jobs because of self-service machines and operators are no longer there as virtual assistants are present 24/7 to answer queries. There is a less need of soldiers too as "drones and other machines are increasingly being used in reconnaissance and combat missions" (Acquino). Moreover, areas that are unreachable by human beings can be accessed by robots in case of emergency which means that robots can take up the jobs of rescuers as well and may offer important assistance to rescue natural disasters' sufferers and victims (Acquino).
To cut a long story short, if human beings want to get the most out of the present circumstances and keep away from becoming out of date employees, they "should look in their industry or sector of interest for jobs that computers or machines were unable to replace" ("The Jobs That Will," 2012). People who are currently unemployed or have not pursued any careers in industrial sector must consider jobs where there is a hi-tech system for improving productivity. They must seek out jobs that may not be invaded by computers or robots in future.
To conclude, while using robots is also advantageous, it must be remembered that this use has certain consequences on the society. It is acknowledged that most of the tasks that cannot be done by manual labor are being done by robots. However, the use of robots in places where manual labor can be accommodated is unjustified and unfair. This is because the replaced worker not only loses his job but also a dire source of income. If there is a continuation in this trend, the products of future will only be made by robots without any involvement of humans. As a consequence, there will be lesser workers, more products and lesser purchasers for the reason that the discontinuity of income will make people moneyless to buy those products. Thus, with the increasing unemployment and automation, the social and economic problems will also keep on increasing (Niku, 2011). As robots are invading the workplace, it must be considered that what does future hold for human beings. This is an exceedingly important issue that must not be considered as insignificant at any cost.
References
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