Author: automata

The brave new world of robots and lost jobs

The brave new world of robots and lost jobs

A robot paints brake drums at Webb Wheel Products in Cullman, Ala. (Dave Martin/Associated Press) Job insecurity is a central theme of the 2016 campaign, fueling popular anger about trade deals and immigration. But economists warn that much bigger job losses are ahead in the United States — driven not by foreign competition but by advancing technology.

A look at the numbers suggests that the country is having the wrong economic debate this year. Employment security won’t come from renegotiating trade deals, as Donald Trump said in a speech Monday in Detroit, or rebuilding infrastructure, as Hillary Clinton argued in […]

IT boom weaning off now, says former ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair

IT boom weaning off now, says former ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair

“Everybody is satisfied with doing some ordinary things and unless we challenge ourselves, we will be left out,” said G Madhavan Nair. Eminent space scientist G Madhavan Nair said today the IT boom is going bust with increasing automation leading to shrinking employment opportunities for freshers even as he favoured Indian companies focussing on creation of high end jobs and the domestic market. The former Indian Space Research Organisation chairman said he had mentioned a couple of years ago that the so-called IT boom would go bust and “that is the phenomena we are now seeing”.

“The recruitment for freshers […]

[Industry 4.0] How will Industry 4.0 impact jobs?

[Industry 4.0] How will Industry 4.0 impact jobs?

It took a weeklong match in March this year between 18-time world Go champion Lee Se-dol and Alphago for it to hit South Koreans hard: Human beings could actually be replaced by artificial intelligence.

Alphago, the AI Go program developed by Google DeepMind, won four out of five games. The initial anticipation of Lee’s sweeping victory soon turned into self-assuring consolation that he at least managed one win.

“After the match, I was actually fearful of my own arrogant assumption that a man-made AI would never outperform a human,” said Kim Sung-jin, a 33-year-old researcher in material engineering. “When an AI […]

What politicians aren’t saying about declining manufacturing jobs

What politicians aren't saying about declining manufacturing jobs

With manufacturing employment steadily dropping and the trucking field predicted to be next, what is the state of automation today? (Deseret Photo) Jobs are a major platform plank for both political parties this election, but neither side has addressed how automation has and will eliminate working-class jobs, observers have noted.

“Job losses due to automation and robotics are often overlooked in discussions about the unexpected rise of outside political candidates like (Donald) Trump and Bernie Sanders,” Moshe Vardi, an artificial-intelligence expert at Rice University, noted in a press release before the parties’ conventions.

Manufacturing in the U.S. has already been hit […]

Will robotics take over HR?

Will robotics take over HR?

Tharman blasts HR in Budget attack on ageism HR leaders have been urged by Deputy PM Tharman Shanmugaratnam to stop their “unstated discrimination” against older workers looking for jobs.

Are you asking illegal interview questions? Have you ever asked a job applicant how old they are? If you have, you might be breaking the law. A leading Singapore employment lawyer looks at which interview questions could land you in hot water.

As technology advances, automation and robotics increasingly threaten to replace the workforce.Recent research has done little to soothe the worries of workers – including a report […]

In The Fourth Industrial Age Robots Are Out To Steal Your Jobs, Humans!

In The Fourth Industrial Age Robots Are Out To Steal Your Jobs, Humans!

Digital technology is galvanising a colossal change, influencing every aspect of our personal and professional lives. There is a global buzz about the beginning of a fourth industrial revolution with path-breaking developments in robotics, genetics, artificial intelligence and nanotechnology among many others. The impact of this mammoth change will be unlike anything that was seen before, creating newer avenues and patterns of employment, consumption and production.

Fear still looms large on whether the job disruptions caused by technology will be momentary as the workforce adapts, or will there be a scenario akin to a sci-fi script where robots and automated […]

Trump’s Right: Detroit Is Hurting. But He’s Wrong About Why

Trump’s Right: Detroit Is Hurting. But He’s Wrong About Why

In many ways, Detroit, Michigan is the perfect place for Donald Trump to try to appeal to the American people. It is a once-great city that badly needs to be made great again. It’s a place where today, nearly 40 percent of residents live in poverty and per capita income is roughly $15,000 —about half the national average. For Trump, it’s a fitting venue to make the case that the United States’ economic outlook is “ really bad! ” “ Sad! ” And, lest we forget, “ a total disaster! ”

Trump did as much when he addressed the people […]

What politicians aren’t saying about declining manufacturing jobs

What politicians aren't saying about declining manufacturing jobs

David and Barbara Ludwig pose for a portrait at their home Wednesday, May 28, 2014, in Reading, Pa. The Ludwigs lost their manufacturing jobs and have been struggling financially ever since. For decades, American manufacturing provided entrée to the middle class, especially for workers without college degrees. No more. Globalization, automation and recession destroyed nearly 6 million manufacturing jobs between 2000-2009, casting many displaced workers out of the middle class and, consequently, widening the income gap between rich and poor. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

With manufacturing employment steadily dropping and the trucking field predicted to be next, what is the state […]

Automation and Jobs for People

Automation and Jobs for People
Since the introduction of the first machines for weaving cloth and other automated processes during the Industrial Revolution, manufacturers have relied more on machines and less on humans for labor. Automation increased during the latter half of the 20th century, as computers were combined with machines to produce highly sophisticated robotic systems and other automated processes. Improvements in communication and information technology moved automation from strictly manufacturing processes to processes that involved more intellectual work. The result has been increased productivity and lower human resource costs for manufacturers and the elimination of some categories […]

Outsourced to robots

Outsourced to robots

The SoftBank humanoid robot known as Pepper, dressed as a waiter, gestures during a conference in Tokyo. (Reuters photo) Digital technology is making it far easier to get things done in everyday life, from banking to ordering food, buying clothes, books and music. A few taps on a smartphone and your transaction is complete.

Communication in general has been revolutionised by access to cheap and reliable broadband service. Not that long ago, if you wanted to talk to a friend or family member in another country, it would cost you a dollar a minute or more. Today you can simply […]