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Will all our jobs be replaced by robots?

Updated on February 18, 2015
Technology is racing forwards
Technology is racing forwards | Source

Technology is moving at light speed

Technology is improving at rocket-speed and some feel that we'll see a world similar to iRobot in the near future. This radical viewpoint may not be as crazy as we think. Technology is advancing so quickly that the latest innovation in one period of time becomes an Aunt Sally within a matter of just a few years. Jobs have been replaced by machinery since the Industrial Revolution in the 18th Century, beginning with spinners and dyers. Nowadays, we're seeing jobs lost left, right and center being replaced by machinery and robots; from supermarket employees to receptionists . So the thought occurred to me, is it really wacky to think that technology will take over a large proportion of our jobs?

Nearly all businessmen will always go for the cheapest and most efficient option

Business owners and entrepreneurs are always seeking ways to lower costs and will grab any opportunity to increase the maximum capacity of their workforce. It's no surprise then, that there are countless cases where humans have lost their jobs to be replaced by faster, more efficient machines. A classic example is the car industry; as robotics have become so advanced, machines can put together cars in a fraction of the time it takes for humans to do the same task.

Machines now dominate the car industry
Machines now dominate the car industry | Source

The big bosses in the car industry are desperate to find cheap, reliable and effective ways to make cars and robots are the way forward. Nearly all major car manufacturers use CAD (computer-aided design) and CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) to produce their cars; with the exception of manufacturers such as Morgan who hold a unique selling point in hand-made cars. Employees have been culled to make way for machines which don't take sick days. These gadgets can increase the maximum capacity of a car company by seven-fold. Now, if a car manufacturer is to become seriously competitive, it has no choice other than to use robots over humans.

Will humans keep being replaced in other areas of employment?

Most likely. Almost on a daily basis I notice how machines are taking over jobs that, just 10 years ago, I could never imagine would be done by anything other than a human. Just going to the supermarket, there are, "self service" checkouts where no human intervention is needed at all... until an invisible unexpected item is placed in the bagging area. But it's plausible to think that only a matter of time before these faults are fixed and there will be no humans at the checkouts at all. We're even seeing humans starting to become replaced in the army, with unmanned drones in the Middle East being flown by somebody in a small room in America. Again, it doesn't sound too crazy to believe that, in the near future, it will be flown by a motherboard with no human pilot at all. So really, it seems that people are going to keep losing their jobs to technology at the same rate as they have done for the past half century. Thinking about it, robot butlers for families may not be science-fiction for much longer.

Does one of these inside every household in the distant future sound far-fetched anymore?
Does one of these inside every household in the distant future sound far-fetched anymore? | Source

There shouldn't be any worry for some

While jobs are being replaced regularly by machines, there are some jobs which require real human interaction in order for the tasks to work to the highest quality. Take teachers for example, human teachers are able to tell when students require help, they can emotionally connect with students in order for them to learn to the best of their ability. Being taught by a robot just wouldn't be the same; I would find it an infinite amount more difficult to pay attention and learn. Human teachers are essential in order to maintain the highest quality of education. Everyone will have their own opinions but I would choose a human doctor over a robotic doctor any day of the week. There are some jobs which just cannot be replaced by an unemotional machine.

Education would just not be the same without human teachers
Education would just not be the same without human teachers | Source

Only time will tell as to what extent robots will replace humans

So will even more jobs be lost to robots and technology? Almost definitely. It seems inevitable that the rapid rate of innovation will maintain its surge throughout the foreseeable future. But will we see more social jobs such as teachers and doctors be replaced? Only time will tell, but looking at the current trend rate of innovation, I wouldn't be surprised if sci-fi movies of the past become the present in the near future.

Do you think your job will be replaced by a robot within the next decade?

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