Category: Automation Impact on Jobs

Students don’t have to take on massive debt. The trades need workers and they pay well | Opinion

OPINION AND COMMENTARY

Editorials and other Opinion content offer perspectives on issues important to our community and are independent from the work of our newsroom reporters.

Opinion The plumbing, electrical and construction industries offer stability, not to mention long-term fulfillment. Kansas City Star file photo Why the Future of Work Isn’t White CollarThe future of work may not be clad in a suit and tie but rather in the durable fabric of coveralls and steel-toed boots. As technology and globalization reshape the workplace, trades such as plumbing, electrical and construction offer workers not only economic stability but also long-term career […]

If AI is so good, why are there still so many jobs for translators?

If AI is so good, why are there still so many jobs for translators?

Lost in automation? Earlier this year, a drumbeat of news headlines played into public anxieties about the safety of human jobs when Duolingo, a language learning app, became a prominent example of a company cutting workers and replacing them with artificial intelligence.

The most eye-catching job cuts were those for translators, who worked on some of the company’s less popular language education courses. Translators and interpreters are often near the top of media listicles as the jobs most likely to be killed by AI. When the stories about Duolingo’s job cuts circulated, they seemed to confirm that the inevitable AI […]

Effects of AI Use on Productivity

As the "Fourth Industrial Revolution" boom came amid advances in artificial intelligence technology in the latter half of the 2010s, many countries including Japan formulated AI promotion strategies. Recently, the use of generative AI such as Chat GPT has spread rapidly. An increasing number of companies are using generative AI for documentation, sales activities, customer support, etc.

Since AI is a general-purpose technology with a wide range of applications, its development and spread has the potential to significantly increase the productivity of the economy as a whole. It has been pointed out that if AI reaches a technological singularity where […]

The CEO and founder of Crown Digital believes his robot barista is poised to be at the forefront of F&B automation

The CEO and founder of Crown Digital believes his robot barista is poised to be at the forefront of F&B automation

Photo: Lawrence Teo, Athirah Annissa Sum up your job in five words.

How about a coffee first?

Why is your work important to the world today? The F&B industry consistently grapples with challenges, including labour shortages and steep overhead expenses such as leasing, labour, and training, which result in low profit margins and rising consumer costs. With the resurgence of AI and robotics , technology has emerged as an indispensable component of our lives, positively impacting aspects of society, the economy, and daily living. READ NEXT Rusydi Khairul, CEO of Reactor School on his plans to help future leaders […]

View: Manufacturing isn’t about jobs but key to balancing trade deficits, securing geopolitical security

View: Manufacturing isn’t about jobs but key to balancing trade deficits, securing geopolitical security

Wake up and smell the straw Somnath Mukherjee

In a famous barnstorming speech, then-US senator Richard Nixon, battling charges of embezzlement of election funds, made an emotional appeal to voters. He invoked his modest background, attacked his opponents and, most memorably, declared his intention to retain one ‘gift’, a dog his kids called Checkers.

Since then, the ‘Checkers Speech’ has become famous in the US as a storied instance of the ‘straw man’ phenomenon. His critics had said nothing about a pet dog. But Nixon pivoted the narrative by putting Checkers at the centre of the critique. He succeeded, winning […]

Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities and Risks

Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities and Risks

Pontiff’s Perspective on AI
Pope Francis made a significant appearance at a technology summit discussing artificial intelligence, emphasizing the dual nature of AI – its potential opportunities and inherent risks. Instead of merely providing quotes, details of his message are highlighted.

Focusing on Human Agency
The pontiff stressed the importance of recognizing human decision-making capabilities in the era of AI. While artificial intelligence operates based on defined criteria or statistical conclusions, humans possess the unique ability to make choices from the heart. He emphasized that crucial decisions should always remain in human hands to preserve human dignity […]

A New Age of Automation?

A New Age of Automation?

Pascual Restrepo has studied how robotics have changed jobs since the 1980s. Now he’s turning his focus to the impact of AI

When economist Pascual Restrepo began his PhD at MIT in 2011, he was hearing a lot of buzz about the impacts of technology on the job market. “People were talking about robots. And people were just starting to talk about artificial intelligence. At that time, it sounded like this cryptic thing of the future,” he says. “Fast forward more than 10 years, and AI’s everywhere.” Restrepo, an associate professor of economics who studies the interaction of automation and […]

Beyond Prosperity, AI Will Imbue the World With Immense Dignity

“Tech is maximally tolerant of any personality if you’re delivering.” Those are the words of Alex Karp, CEO of Palantir Technologies. And they speak to a beautiful future for those who possess different minds, and different skills. Karp was quoted in a Wall Street Journal article titled “Jobs Grow for the Autistic Beyond Tech.” What a story. What a future!

View it as an antidote to the worry expressed by some that AI and other advances in automated work and thought are set to either erase certain forms of work altogether, or substantial aspects of work. One can only hope […]

Iowa manufacturers outline advancements, challenges from integrating AI, robotics, vision systems to production

Iowa manufacturers outline advancements, challenges from integrating AI, robotics, vision systems to production

Chris Hill, director of the Technology Assistance Program at the Center for Industrial Research and Service, shows a variety of sensors used in manufacturing to gather process data and support preventive and predictive equipment maintenance, among other applications. Photo by John Retzlaff

As an industry already familiar with implementing advanced technology, Iowa’s manufacturing sector is one to watch as everything from robotic and automation technologies to solutions powered by artificial intelligence become more sophisticated and companies must decide where to invest resources.

The Business Record recently distributed a survey to gather the input of manufacturing stakeholders in Iowa on how automation […]

China elder care sector plugs smart gadgets to fill workforce gaps

China elder care sector plugs smart gadgets to fill workforce gaps

Shanghai (AFP) – With internet-connected sleep monitors, robotic arms and calorie-counting cafeteria plates, China’s elder care industry is hoping automation will provide the solution to an ageing population and a shrinking workforce.

3 min China’s elder care industry is hoping automation will provide the solution to an ageing population and a shrinking workforce Hundreds of retirees were among visitors to a crowded industry fair in Shanghai this week, thronging booths touting everything from luxury retirement homes to physiotherapy robots.

China’s population has declined since 2022 after more than 60 years of uninterrupted growth, prompting fears of a future labour crunch […]