Author: automata

Here’s the best argument that computers could replace doctors, teachers, and even nannies

Here’s the best argument that computers could replace doctors, teachers, and even nannies

Javier Zarracina/Vox

Artificial intelligence is improving rapidly, and a lot of people are worried that it will lead to massive job losses. In the past, technology mostly displaced workers doing routine tasks or manual labor. But as software becomes more sophisticated, there’s a growing prospect that truck drivers, teachers, and perhaps even doctors could see their jobs replaced by a robot or a computer program.

Ryan Avent is an economics correspondent for the Economist who has been thinking about the economics of automation for several years. He’s a technology optimist — he thinks software and robots really will massively boost economic […]

Job automation threatens peoples’ livelihoods. Can universal basic income save the day?

Job automation threatens peoples’ livelihoods. Can universal basic income save the day?

Planet Earth ( openDemocracy ) – In early 2013, a colleague and I attended the inaugural meeting of the UK Robot Ethics association. There, we suggested that developments in robotics and computing technology meant that we needed to re-evaluate some of our economic thinking. Machines were now increasingly capable of replacing human cognitive power as well as physical power, as had primarily been the case in the past. There is an orthodox idea in economics according to which increases in productivity driven by technology will not create long-term or ‘structural’ unemployment. Conventional thinking has it that as technology-driven productivity […]

All jobs susceptible to automation, says McKinsey Global Institute study

All jobs susceptible to automation, says McKinsey Global Institute study

NewsWrap Some of the activities that have the greatest potential for automation are physical activities that occur in predictable environments

It is not just low-skill, low-wage jobs that are affected by automation; some high-skill, high-wage jobs too, are susceptible to automation, according to McKinsey Global Institute, the business and economics research arm of consultancy firm McKinsey.

Take for instance, the task of collecting and analysing data. Some of it falls into the category of low-skill, low-wage. But, says Michael Chui, Partner, McKinsey Global Institute, some of the activities that fit into the category of collecting and analysing data are done by […]

Creativity will save us from the robots, QUT professor predicts

Creativity will save us from the robots, QUT professor predicts

The creative industries will have a resurgence in the age of of programmatic and the increasing role of digital in communications, a leading academic has predicted. Professor Stuart Cunningham of the Queensland University of Technology said the value of an Arts degree was increasing as robots and automation looked set to kill a host of careers with foundations in the digital space.

Cunningham predicts that workers in the future will have to have a working knowledge of digital and understand what is happening “under the hood’, but as robots assumed roles traditionally held by humans, the opportunities would grow for […]

Man vs. Machine: Is Automation Stealing Jobs?

Man vs. Machine: Is Automation Stealing Jobs?

Although it has accelerated of late, the fear of automation stealing jobs is centuries old. Recall the legendary 19th century folktale of John Henry, the strongest steel-driving man who ever wielded a hammer. One day the railroad turned to automation, using a steam-powered drill that outworked any man. Although John Henry tried to outwork the machine, he famously died trying.

In a more contemporary "man v. machine" story, chess master Garry Kasparaov defeated IBM’s Deep Blue in a 1996 chess match, only to lose against the "thinking machine" the following year. Notice that in both stories, the machines ultimately came […]

Industrial Robots and Manufacturing Jobs – A Catalyst for Loss or Growth?

Industrial Robots and Manufacturing Jobs – A Catalyst for Loss or Growth?

The unknown is scary; change is often met with resistance, and people may ask themselves how such innovations will affect their livelihoods and lifestyles. By definition, disruptive technologies are innovations that create a new market and value network, ultimately displacing established market leaders, alliances, and the status quo. Historically, however, it’s been seen that as society becomes more educated, informed, and familiar with innovations such as e-mail, smartphones, and social networking, the acceptance and proven benefits begin to emerge as a result.

Similar to other industry shake-ups, the increasing introduction of robotics into the workplace has led to a common […]

85% of job loss in manufacturing due to automation; only 13% due to trade

Since talk about trade agreements that America is "losing" on still dominates the airwaves, I thought I’d bring this up as I’ve seen it floated around recently. Short of a Luddite-esque smashing of the machines – or maybe more of a USSR pointless job creation scheme – I’m not sure what the solution for the further automation of work is.

CATO @ Liberty – Have Trade Agreements Killed the Manufacturing Sector?

Yes, it’s true – fewer people work in manufacturing today than in the past. Peak U.S. manufacturing employment was 19.4 million workers in 1979, […]

All jobs susceptible to automation, says McKinsey Global Institute study

All jobs susceptible to automation, says McKinsey Global Institute study

Michael Chui, Partner, McKinsey Global Institute BIJOY GHOSH Chennai, August 23:

It is not just low-skill, low-wage jobs that are affected by automation; some high-skill, high-wage jobs too, are susceptible to automation, according to McKinsey Global Institute, the business and economics research arm of consultancy firm McKinsey.

Take for instance, the task of collecting and analysing data. Some of it falls into the category of low-skill, low-wage. But, says Michael Chui, Partner, McKinsey Global Institute, some of the activities that fit into the category of collecting and analysing data are done by those who have MBAs and other graduate degrees and […]

Job automation threatens peoples’ livelihoods. Can universal basic income save the day?

Job automation threatens peoples' livelihoods. Can universal basic income save the day?

Technological developments are rendering many jobs obsolete. Can implemeting a universal basic income provide a way of managing the social and economic implications of such a radical transformation? A robot faces off against a human in a game of ‘rock paper scissors’ at the Science Museum, London. Photo: Ian Nicholson / PA Archive/Press Association Images. All rights reserved. In early 2013, a colleague and I attended the inaugural meeting of the UK Robot Ethics association. There, we suggested that developments in robotics and computing technology meant that we needed to re-evaluate some of our economic thinking. Machines were now […]

The future of work

The dog days of summer are waning, pools are closing, and parents are taking a deep breath as they get to send their kids back to school. It’s Labor Day. But Labor Day is about more than a last hurrah before getting back to work after a summer of fun. Established by the labor movement, it is an annual national tribute to the contributions workers have made throughout history to the well-being and economic strength of the United States.

As we mark the achievements of the past, Labor Day also represents an opportune time to pause and take a look […]