Tag: academic

A rise in self-service technologies may cause a decline in our sense of community

A rise in self-service technologies may cause a decline in our sense of community

Public-facing automation, like self-service kiosks, reduce the chances we have to interact with other people. (Shutterstock) Automation, once hidden behind closed doors in factories, is increasingly moving into public view. Customers can pay for groceries or clothing at a self-checkout machine, order fast food from a touchscreen kiosk or even pickup coffee from a “ robo-café .”

These technologies, which substitute human contact for robot-based interactions, are examples of self-service technologies — innovative public-facing automation which “ enable customers to perform entire services on their own without direct assistance from employees .”

While self-service technologies have the potential to improve efficiency […]

Justin Trudeau Has a Plan to Save Jobs From Automation

Justin Trudeau Has a Plan to Save Jobs From Automation

Justin Trudeau Has a Plan to Save Jobs From Automation Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is preparing his country to deal with the challenges new technologies place on the workforce.

The rise of artificial intelligence technologies has made it easier for companies like Google goog to automatically identify cats in photos. But as cutting-edge AI technologies amplify automation, people are increasingly worried that powerful software will replace the need for human workers .

Earlier this week, Trudeau addressed the subject of automation and labor on the question-and-answer website Quora and explained some of his ideas to help Canadian citizens keep their […]

AI is coming for the professional class. Expect outrage — and fear.

Will professionals displaced by AI find new jobs in health care? (iStock) I was born in 1973, just as the American economy was going to hell — though I cannot accept all the blame. It was the twilight of the 20th-century manufacturing boom that had almost managed to compress the whole country into one vast middle class and, for reasons beyond my control, that boom was unraveling. Inflation was headed into double digits as labor productivity began to decline, economic growth swooned, unemployment rose and manufacturing employment tipped into the final descent toward its current sub-10 percent share.

This turnaround […]

The Impact of Automated Robots on Employment and Countermeasures

The Impact of Automated Robots on Employment and Countermeasures

Download PDF Abstract

Robots have become a pressing issue in workplaces and the academic field. Some people worry that they may
decrease employment opportunities and labor costs. In this situation, the government plays a crucial role in ensuring a fair and just labor market. This paper discusses the government’s role in addressing the influence of robots on employment. References
Top 5 Robot Trends 2024, n.d., viewed March 6, 2024, https://ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/news/top-5-robot-trends-2024 Acemoglu D, Restrepo P, 2019, Automation and New Tasks: How Technology Displaces and Reinstates Labor. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 33(2): 3–30.ARC2020, 2018, Texting Cows, AGTech & the Future […]

The Economist Breaking Ranks to Warn of AI’s Transformative Power

The Economist Breaking Ranks to Warn of AI’s Transformative Power

By Will Henshall

April 16, 2024 11:47 AM EDT

Technologists tend to predict that the economic impacts of their creations will be unprecedented—and this is especially true when it comes to artificial intelligence. Last year, Elon Musk predicted that continued advances in AI would render human labor obsolete. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has written that AI will inevitably continue the shift in economic power from labor to capital and create “phenomenal wealth.” Jensen Huang, CEO of semiconductor design firm Nvidia, has compared AI’s development and deployment to a “new industrial revolution.”But while the technologists are bullish on the economic impacts […]

Industrial robots make people feel worse about jobs and themselves

Industrial robots make people feel worse about jobs and themselves

Robots may make companies more productive, as some studies have suggested, but they make people feel that their jobs have less meaning.

Researchers with the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and Colorado State University in the US recently looked into the impact of robotic automation on workers’ sense of well-being and motivation. They found that the adoption of industrial robots takes a mental toll on workers – more so for those with repetitive jobs and less so for those with non-routine responsibilities.

Add that to prior research showing robotic automation depresses wages and employment.In a paper titled "Robots, meaning, and […]

The Intersection of IoT and Robotics: Transforming Industries and Workforce

The Intersection of IoT and Robotics: Transforming Industries and Workforce

iot in robotics The integration of IoT in robotics is not just about connecting devices; it’s about creating intelligent systems that can adapt and learn from their environment. These interconnected robotic softwares can optimize processes, predict maintenance needs, and enhance decision-making capabilities by harnessing the power of real-time data exchange and advanced AI algorithms.

From smart factories where robots collaborate with humans to optimize production lines, to autonomous vehicles navigating city streets, the possibilities are endless. As IoRT continues to advance, it promises to revolutionize industries, unlocking new levels of efficiency, safety, and innovation in the ever-evolving automation landscape. get […]

How One Tech Skeptic Decided A.I. Might Benefit the Middle Class

How One Tech Skeptic Decided A.I. Might Benefit the Middle Class

“A.I., if used well, can assist with restoring the middle-skill, middle-class heart of the U.S. labor market,” David Autor, a labor economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, wrote. David Autor seems an unlikely A.I. optimist. The labor economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is best known for his in-depth studies showing how much technology and trade have eroded the incomes of millions of American workers over the years.

But Mr. Autor is now making the case that the new wave of technology — generative artificial intelligence, which can produce hyper-realistic images and video and convincingly imitate humans’ voices […]

How One Tech Skeptic Decided A.I. Might Benefit the Middle Class

How One Tech Skeptic Decided A.I. Might Benefit the Middle Class

“A.I., if used well, can assist with restoring the middle-skill, middle-class heart of the U.S. labor market,” David Autor, a labor economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, wrote. David Autor seems an unlikely A.I. optimist. The labor economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is best known for his in-depth studies showing how much technology and trade have eroded the incomes of millions of American workers over the years.

But Mr. Autor is now making the case that the new wave of technology — generative artificial intelligence, which can produce hyper-realistic images and video and convincingly imitate humans’ voices […]

How not to talk about AI in education

How not to talk about AI in education

With AI described variously as a co-author, creator, thinker, and even a teacher, Helen Beetham urges the sector to articulate AI’s role in higher education more carefully, so that we’re not inadvertently fuelling the hype and confusion

It seems impossible not to talk about AI. Here is a story about technology that challenges universities on their own ground. It claims to have knowledge, to think, and to learn. Students can use it to write assignments, and scholars to turbocharge their research outputs. But by talking about it in the terms given by the AI industry, are we failing to […]