Category: Automation Impact on Jobs

Will automation cause technological unemployment?

Will automation cause technological unemployment?

Technological unemployment occurs when the adoption of new technology causes job losses. Automation is a process of using robots, AI and machines to take the place of workers – not just in manufacturing, but increasingly new avenues – even in the service sector. The pace of automation is causing job disruption – with workers – especially in manufacturing losing jobs.

Any good economist will be well-acquainted with the Luddite Fallacy – the argument that new technology destroys jobs in the long-run is not true. Back in the nineteenth century, skilled artisans went around smashing spinning machines – machines which were […]

People at work, on the train or maybe sitting opposite you in the living room, all looking at a screen, spending time on spending money.

People at work, on the train or maybe sitting opposite you in the living room, all looking at a screen, spending time on spending money.

Black Friday has become a key event for UK retailers Look around you today, and witness an outbreak of furtive shopping.

People at work, on the train or maybe sitting opposite you in the living room, all looking at a screen, spending time on spending money.

Today is Black Friday, a retail event that didn’t even exist in this country a few years ago but now seems to have turned into a relentless machine.In shops and online, we are expected to spend around £3bn over the next few days. Black Friday, after all, doesn’t actually stop until Sunday or Monday.Yes, it’s […]

Brexit: So what will happen to the economy when the foreign workers go home?

Brexit: So what will happen to the economy when the foreign workers go home?

Over on Channel 4 there is a new darkly funny fly on the wall documentary series “ British Workers Wanted “. It shows a recruitment company in England coping with life during Brexit. 98% of the company’s recruitment staff are foreign, but what do you do when after Brexit the foreign workers start to leave?

The show follows the company’s efforts to recruit British workers to do the jobs that the foreign workers used to do, but with predictably dire results. This 1-minute clip sums up the issue: Basically, most employers prefer foreign workers. They find they are more productive […]

Automation is a job creator — check with Amazon.com

Automation is a job creator — check with Amazon.com

Workers prepare customer orders for dispatch inside an Amazon.co.uk fulfillment center in England. Rather than fear automation, State Sen. Steve Glazer says, Californians should embrace how technology will improve the workforce.

Amazon.com’s nationwide search for a second corporate headquarters site is getting a lot of attention. And with good reason: The company says the new headquarters will generate 50,000 high-paying jobs.

The initiative is only the latest move by Amazon to create tens of thousands of new jobs. The company has been one of the biggest job creators in California, and the nation, for many years.But here’s something else about Amazon: […]

Walmart’s relentless march to automation is coming for the late-night cleaning crew

Walmart’s relentless march to automation is coming for the late-night cleaning crew

Walmart has over 4,600 stores in the US. Between its Supercenters (187,000 sq ft on average), Discount Stores (104,000 sq ft), Neighborhood Markets (42,000 sq ft), and Sam’s Clubs (134,000 sq ft), that’s a lot of shopping aisles to keep clean.

That might be why the US’s largest private-sector employer is testing out self-driving mechanical floor scrubbers during overnight shifts in five of its stores near its headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, according to a post by LinkedIn managing editor Chip Cutter. The machine, named EMMA, roams around the store like the cross between a Zamboni and a Roomba .

The machine […]

Drones: A Toxic Time Bomb or The Next Great Leap?

Drones: A Toxic Time Bomb or The Next Great Leap?

Drones, just in case you haven’t heard are UAV or unmanned aerial vehicles. That means they are flying machines that can be controlled without a pilot. Something that allows them to be smaller and less detectable, as well as used in dangerous situations, minimising any risk to life. In the news, they are often heralded as the next great leap in our technological advancement or vilified as a toxic time bomb waiting to go off and irreparably damage our privacy and economy. Below we look at both arguments and aim to establish which is true. Privacy

One of […]

From Manual Procedures to Machines — The Role of AI and Automation in Project Management

From Manual Procedures to Machines — The Role of AI and Automation in Project Management

Artificial intelligence, automation, industrial robotics and the similar emerging technologies are growing at an alarming speed, but there has been inconsiderable concentration to their effect on employment and other organizational practices. Despite the fact that these technologies can upgrade the speed, cost, and quality of the products and services, the fact is they may also expel a huge numbers of employees.

A recent user survey revealed that around 85% of respondents believe that AI and automation will transform their job in the coming three years. 83% of those inspected said they were excited, but 84% also stated feeling suspicious.

The purpose […]

Rise of the machines: Is Malaysia ready?

Rise of the machines: Is Malaysia ready?

Industrial robots have already made a huge impact on the automotive industry. REUTERS PIC “WATCH robot builder construct house in two days.” “New robotic drill performs skull surgery 50 times faster.” “The Washington Post’s robot reporter has published 850 articles in the past year.”

Seeing these news headlines, I instantly recall Elon Musk, who has not been discreet about his worries over the rise of machines. He had warned that: “Robots will be able to do everything better than us”.

Musk is not alone. In fact, many share his worries. Machines of the future can “think” and “act” like humans or, […]

How to charm the bots in charge of hiring for your dream job

How to charm the bots in charge of hiring for your dream job

As artificial intelligence technology rapidly evolves to transform industries like health care and virtually assist people’s lives, the hope is matched by concern about the displacement of human roles. At the same time, deployed AI platforms in today’s business world augment processes at a more rapid pace than they replace them. While we’ve yet to determine the exact impact of AI, a recent report from the World Economic Forum estimates automation will replace at least 5 million jobs by 2022. One thing is clear today: AI is driving fundamental changes in how people conduct their jobs and how companies […]

Westacott on our sleepy future

Westacott on our sleepy future

Jennifer Westacott: ‘Innovation’ focus has been too narrowly focused on geek culture After 26 years of uninterrupted economic growth, Australian business is asleep at the wheel warns Jennifer Westacott, chief executive of the Business Council of Australia.

Unlike other nations which were prodded into reformation by the global financial crisis, Australia has lolled on its laurels. Ms Westacott said the nation was at a “pivot point” and needed to “shake ourselves out of that slumber and get our act together on tax, get our act together on regulation, on the technology infrastructure that our economy needs, and on making our […]