Category: Automation Impact on Jobs

AI fears starting to fizzle among workers as half believe artificial intelligence will actually boost their salaries and increase job security

AI fears starting to fizzle among workers as half believe artificial intelligence will actually boost their salaries and increase job security

Nearly half of workers expect AI to increase their salary and job security, PWC’s survey of 56,600 workers shows Since ChatGPT’s explosive debut in November 2022, fears of robots replacing humans have been rampant, but the average worker remains optimistic and actually sees AI as something that will eventually bolster their bank account.

PwC’s 2024 Global Workforce Hopes & Fears Survey , which polled over 56,000 workers, reveals that many employees expect AI to enhance their jobs rather than eliminate them.

Half of the workers surveyed believe AI will boost their salaries (49%) and job security (50%) in the next […]

Horizon Bets on the Smart Factory

Horizon Bets on the Smart Factory

(This article originally ran in the June 5 edition of the drupa daily.)

Timm Edelhoff, head of Horizon GmbH in Quickborn, Germany, takes a pragmatic approach to automation. Under his leadership, Horizon GmbH embraces the smart factory concept to leverage technologies that streamline operations, enhance productivity, and deliver customer value. It is all on exhibition in their drupa stand in Hall 6 and partner stands across the messe.

Edelhoff’s philosophy on automation is clear: technology should serve a purpose beyond novelty. "Automation must have a customer benefit or ROI," says Edelhoff. "Technology without a direct benefit is a waste of […]

Overseas Demand, AI, Domestic Demand Transition Are Key to China’s Economic Development

Overseas Demand, AI, Domestic Demand Transition Are Key to China’s Economic Development

audio is not supported! Overseas Demand, AI, Domestic Demand Transition Are Key to China’s Economic Development

(Yicai) June 25 — Chinese companies are offered opportunities from the overseas market and artificial intelligence sector but also face great challenges from protectionism in Western countries. Therefore, the Chinese economy is experiencing an inevitable deep transition, especially in its supply and demand structure.

There are two kinds of opportunities that Chinese firms can seize globally: robust overseas demand and the development of AI. Regarding the first, Chinese companies that went global and had a high percentage of overseas sales over the past years have […]

Unlocking IO-Link: What it is and Why it Matters for Modern Automation

Unlocking IO-Link: What it is and Why it Matters for Modern Automation

Unlocking IO-Link: What it is and Why it Matters for Modern Automation

IO-Link enhances process transparency and seamlessly integrates into existing control architectures. But what exactly is it, and why is it essential for modern industrial automation?

The use of IO-Link as a communication protocol in industrial plants has seen remarkable expansion over the past several years.The total number of installed IO-Link nodes reached 51.6 million by the end of 2023, according to the industry trade group PROFIBUS & PROFINET International’s (PI’s) annual survey of newly installed nodes. Last year, 15.9 million IO-Link devices were installed, which represents a record […]

The Hype around “Operational Efficiency”

The Hype around “Operational Efficiency”

Corporate earnings calls have shared a common theme of late: operational efficiency. According to Morgan Stanley analysts, mentions of efficiency have steadily increased since 2022 . This trend indicates a significant shift in how companies are strategizing for the future. Yet the efficiency focus is about more than just cost-cutting. Greater emphasis on efficiency also has to do with technological developments, and AI in particular. As understanding of AI’s potential grows, executives have begun to anticipate new ways of reducing labor costs (labor substitution) and speeding up and improving work processes (labor augmentation) to boost productivity. According to Morgan […]

Apple says the robots are coming to take the jobs

Apple says the robots are coming to take the jobs

Hot on the heels of a recent report claiming Apple now sees GenAI as a basis for complex product ideas including humanoid robotics, we learn that it wants to put more robots on the iPhone assembly lines. Manufactured in factories by robots

Designed in Cupertino and manufactured by robots, that Apple wants this isn’t especially surprising. Manufacturing partner Foxconn is known to be at the forefront of building smart and highly automated factories.

Even in 2016 it was known to have 40,000 robots in place across lights out factories and the drive to automation was flagged up even then […]

CWU raises concerns over skills and job losses to AI

CWU raises concerns over skills and job losses to AI

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) of the Trade Union Congress has called to attention the threat of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies to the human job market.

Madam Vida Quansah, National Chairman of the Union, said job losses from digital adoption by corporations and the present economic situation cast gloom over the future of human resource.

She urged the Government and worker unions to seek measures to secure livelihoods for many.She made the call at the 8th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of the Union which was held in Ho on the theme: “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Future […]

The case for wage insurance to offset future job disruption

The case for wage insurance to offset future job disruption

Federico Parra/AFP via Getty Images The U.S. economy has enjoyed a period relatively strong job growth coming out of the worst of the pandemic. That’s come with wage gains , as well. But, of course, many workers remember times when the opposite has been true.

In the 1970s and ’80s, there were the early waves of deindustrialization that cost U.S. companies jobs. In the ’90s, a corporate restructuring binge resulted in layoffs for office workers. And in the early 2000s, an increase in Chinese exports to the U.S. resulted in a manufacturing employment decline.

So turning back to the present, as […]

The Power of AI, ML, Autonomous Systems, and Robotics in Workforce Transformation​

The Power of AI, ML, Autonomous Systems, and Robotics in Workforce Transformation​

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics are no longer just futuristic concepts; they have become integral components driving innovation across numerous sectors. From assembly lines to advanced research labs, these technologies are transforming old job roles and opening doors to new possibilities.

However, this transformation is not without its skeptics. Many voice concerns about a future where machines might replace human labor, potentially leading to widespread job losses and increased social inequality. These worries are valid and highlight the need for thoughtful technology integration in our workplaces.

The adoption of AI and robotics shouldn’t be about replacing the human workforce but enhancing […]

Deloitte AI exec dispels one of the biggest fears related to AI

Deloitte AI exec dispels one of the biggest fears related to AI

Deloitte’s Rohit Tandon, Managing Director and AI Insights Practice Leader, envisions a future of AI-human collaboration, emphasizing AI’s transformative impact on the workforce and advocating for dynamic regulations and government collaboration in AI adoption globally.

Deloitte’s AI executive, Rohit Tandon, emphasizes that AI will create new roles while collaborating with humans. Contrary to the common narrative, Tandon asserts that the future belongs to AI-human collaboration, not replacement. He envisions a revolutionary era where technology empowers the workforce rather than displacing it. In an interview with PTI, Tandon, Managing Director and AI Insights Practice Leader at Deloitte LLP, dispels fears of […]