Category: Automation Impact on Jobs

Dockworkers join other unions in trying to fend off automation, or minimize the impact

Dockworkers join other unions in trying to fend off automation, or minimize the impact

Longshoremen bow for a prayer during a strike at the Bayport Container Terminal on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan) By CATHY BUSSEWITZ

AP Business Writer

NEW YORK The massive port workers’ strike that has crippled all the major dockyards on the Eastern seaboard of the U.S. is highlighting a fear held by many workers: Eventually, we will all be replaced by machines.The International Longshoremen’s Association, which represents the approximately 45,000 dock workers who walked off the job Tuesday, is testing whether it’s possible to fight back.The union is demanding, along with hefty pay […]

Automation from the Worker’s Perspective: How can new technologies make jobs better?

Automation from the Worker’s Perspective: How can new technologies make jobs better?

1 Introduction

Sam Sayer worked in factories for years before he ever saw a robot. Now, in a red beard and zombie t-shirt, he’s teaching his colleagues on the factory floor how to use them [ 1 ]. Sayer is one of a growing group of employees at a New Hampshire cutting tool manufacturer who have become champions of the automation transforming their jobs. In recent years, Sayer’s employer has scaled advanced technologies across the company. Robots and advanced machines are distributed throughout their factories, working alongside employees to make them faster and freeing workers up to solve problems […]

Tens of thousands of dockworkers are striking from Boston to Houston

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

Tens of thousands of dockworkers along the East and Gulf coasts walked off the job at midnight. The strike spans ports from Boston to Houston, and it is threatening to jam supply chains and disrupt the U.S. economy. Stephan Bisaha of the Gulf States Newsroom is at one of those ports in Mobile, Ala. He joins us from the picket line. Hey, Stephan.

STEPHAN BISAHA, BYLINE: Hey. Thanks for having me.KELLY: Hey. Glad to have you with us. OK, tell me what you see, what it sounds like, what’s happening there in Mobile.BISAHA: Yeah. On the road […]

Is advertising still a viable career for young people?

Is advertising still a viable career for young people?

Seldom a week goes by without one of the global advertising groups announcing a new merger or that they’re seeking efficiencies by making job cuts. Combined with the threat of AI, it’s safe to say that a career in advertising certainly doesn’t offer the security it once did—but is it still a viable career path for young people and for how much longer?

Lesley John, managing director at Virtue APAC, says a career in advertising remains an exciting option even in the face of industry shifts.

“Traditional roles may be changing, but new opportunities are emerging, especially in areas such as […]

Generative AI and the Digital Divide: A Double-Edged Sword for Latin America’s Job Market

Generative AI and the Digital Divide: A Double-Edged Sword for Latin America's Job Market

Representative Image A New Frontier or a Bottleneck? GenAI’s Impact on Latin America’s Job Market

The rise of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) promises to reshape industries and economies globally. However, for the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, this transformative technology presents a paradox. While it could boost productivity and streamline various sectors, a critical digital divide threatens to leave millions of workers behind. A new report titled Buffer or Bottleneck? Employment Exposure to Generative AI and the Digital Divide in Latin America by the World Bank highlights these contrasting effects, examining the potential for GenAI to either […]

Changing the Narrative Between Tech and Employees

Changing the Narrative Between Tech and Employees

Summit Art Creations/stock.adobe.com

Conversations around technology in the logistics industry invariably involve the net effect on employees. Usually, the relationship between tech and workers is seen as adversarial – tech versus employees. The perception is: the more technology introduced, the fewer employees an operation will need.

The relationship is far more nuanced than that, however, as tech has the capacity to improve workplace safety and efficiency, provide opportunities for advancement and upskilling, and make better connections between job seekers and good-fit jobs. Here’s a look at how tech AND employees can work together in logistics. Technology and Job Displacement Countless […]

Skills: Putting this new currency of work into action

Skills: Putting this new currency of work into action

At HR Tech, Mercer’s Ravin Jesuthasan explored how organisations can effectively lean into more fluid, agile talent structures, with a focus on skills. In the four years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the volatility in the global economy has increased 2.5 times more than it had in the previous three decades, according to the World Economic Forum.

Business leaders are contending with a “poly-crisis world”—a heightened risk environment, rising importance of sustainability, new ways of working—with the “ultimate kicker” being the acceleration and impact of generative AI, said Ravin Jesuthasan at the closing keynote address at the HR […]

What are the long-term economic implications of the impact of automation on the workforce?

Insight from top 5 papers

The long-term economic implications of automation on the workforce are multifaceted, involving both job displacement and the creation of new employment opportunities. While automation can lead to immediate job losses in certain sectors, it also fosters structural changes that can enhance overall employment in the long run. Job Displacement and Structural Change

Automation often displaces workers in specific tasks, reducing demand for labor and wages in those areas[4]. However, this displacement is counterbalanced by job creation in new, labor-intensive sectors, as seen in historical data from industries like textiles and steel[2][3]. Productivity Gains and […]

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence

I am writing to share some thoughts on a topic that has been at the forefront of technological discussions in recent years: Artificial Intelligence (AI). The rapid advancements in AI have opened up new possibilities and challenges across various sectors, fundamentally changing how we live, work, and interact. AI refers to the development of computer systems that can perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence. These tasks include reasoning, learning, problem-solving, perception, and language understanding.

One of the most significant impacts of AI is its ability to automate processes once considered too complex for machines. This automation has the potential to […]

AI and automation can open the way for workplace inclusion

AI and automation can open the way for workplace inclusion

Jasmine Virhia

Ariela Kleinberg Shveid

September 28th, 2024 AI and automation can open the way for workplace inclusion 0 comments Estimated reading time: 6 minutes With the rapid advancements in technology, the fear of job loss is palpable. But is this the whole truth for artificial intelligence and automation? Jasmine Virhia and Ariela Kleinberg Shveid write that these technologies can potentially bring a big benefit to workers: enhanced workplace inclusion. The city of Tokyo gained a robot-run restaurant in 2021. Upon hearing this, you would be justified in asking, “how does this help our current population or create more […]