By Kelly Kempen
Many Americans love to use computers. Their main function is to
make life easier for us right? Well, with new innovations and technology being
thought up by the hour, should we worry about computers taking over the world?
No, I’m not talking about a crazy i-Robot situation where they malfunction and
destroy a city or anything; I am talking about jobs.
Many Americans have been replaced by
robots in the workplace already, as it is sometimes cheaper to pay the
maintenance fee of a machine rather than the income for a hundred workers. Yes,
machines may be more efficient at putting together Barbie dolls, but what about
the factory workers that lost their jobs because a machine was better than
them. Could the use of robots in the workplace set the economy off balance? The
answer is yes. Since we are a free market-mixed economy in the United States,
the “unemployment problem” is not only the fault of the “person running the
country” (cough, cough) like politicians like to throw around, but also the
people running companies. These companies, by hiring robots instead of people,
reduce your chances of getting a job, creating a larger gap between eligible
candidates, and job opportunities.
Hundreds of companies are inventing new
systems and programs to replace the average Joe. Jobs we once thought could
never be replaced; are being, or on the verge of being, taken over by robots.
Obviously, the most commonly known of these replacements is a factory worker,
but they are not alone. Odd jobs can be replaced too. For example, a few
hospitals have already installed robot pharmacists who can fill out hundreds of
thousands of prescriptions without error, Google is working on a self-driven
car; which means even a truck driver could be out of luck in the near future,
and as I was simply researching for this blog post, there was an
advertisement for a “virtual receptionist” aimed at local businesses. Don’t be
fooled by the thought that only “low-class” jobs can be replaced, even lawyers,
people who pay thousands upon thousands of dollars for college degrees,
could be replaced by robots who can read and decode law texts fast and
cheaper than human beings.
Would it really be better for
every company to produce goods using machines and not hiring even a few people?
No, because if every single company did this, then the economy would crash
since the firms would have all of these goods, but no one to buy them. If we
don’t have people getting a regular income from a job- even if it’s just a measly
factory job- there would be no circular flow of money; and it would all be
stuck in the firms because the households would not have money to spend on the
businesses’ products. Without a flow of money, an economy cannot run, and the
most fundamental element of an economy is the people. Without people no
such economy would exist; there would be no currency or trade-offs, or value of
product. We must not forget why the economy is there in the first place, even
when times are tough.
- 5,
2013 there will be 1.2 million industrial robots working worldwide --
that's one robot for every, 000 people, and founder of How Stuff Works.
"Jobs Replaced By Robots - Business Insider." Business Insider.
N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2013.
<http://www.businessinsider.com/9-jobs-that-are-already-being-replaced-by-robots-2011-3?op=1>.
- "Almost
half the jobs Americans thought were safe will soon be done by robots –
Quartz." Quartz.
N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2013.
<http://qz.com/127454/almost-half-the-jobs-americans-thought-were-safe-will-soon-be-done-by-robots/>.
- "Andrew
McAfee: Are droids taking our jobs? - YouTube." YouTube.
N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. <http://youtu.be/WMF-Z74C1QE>.
I think you make some very good points. I agree that the most important part of the economy is people because there must be flow of money to have an economy. I think people always look at technological advancements to be a good thing, in which most cases they are but it will be interesting to see where we draw the line on these robots that could take over many jobs.
ReplyDeleteI like the points you made with this whole technology thing having an effect on people's jobs. People think that these new phones, new machines, and new inventions are making everything easy. Yeah, they may be but, despite the time and effort made to create such "robots", this just gives us an outlook on our future in the United States... so far, this is just pure laziness. Maybe people will enjoy being unemployed - all the more reason to use the government for a check, right? How far will they let this whole technological advancement go? Maybe so far as to lead us to a huge crash in our economy. Go America! Woo!
ReplyDeleteThe points that you made in your post were eye opening and thought provoking. I agree with you that robots may not take over to world but they could take over the job market. Jobs are scarce as it is and if inanimate objects with hard drives for brains and upgrades for pay start replacing actual living, breathing workers than the economy is going to crash, businesses are going to start losing money and stop making money and the country, perhaps even foreign countries, will crash all together and a new system will have to be installed quickly. Which leads to the loss of production of robotic workers and mass hysteria, all that jazz. The advancement of technology is not always a good thing because it could be helping some people but could be hurting others, more critically then was intended.
ReplyDeleteI look at the topic of this blog post and think to myself that this will be all over the headlines and the main debate over the world in the next couple of decades, or maybe even years. I actually read a Time magazine article on this exact topic not long ago and it had really struck me how far machines have come in the last decades or so. I think you did a great job and kept the most important information in this post as well as stating some pretty scary facts about how robots could take any one of our jobs. It sounds kind of funny at first how robots could be replacing doctors and lawyers, but if you think about it, it really is happening. The advancements in technology are rapidly changing our world. The fact is that robots, as harmful and risky as they are to economies that highly depend on human labor and to people who want to work, they are efficient and complex machines that can change the whole idea of an efficient economy. I do admit that people are the fundamental element of an economy but maybe the time for robots to come into the human workforce has finally arrived, maybe judgment day is really coming.
ReplyDeleteI think there will eventually be a point in which companies will start to loose money because the very workers that they replaced with robots will no longer be able to by product because they no longer have an income. Also, I think there will be protests and boycotts of products produced by robots, much like eating only organic foods or being a vegetarian. This will force companies to either find a different market or higher more people.
ReplyDeleteAs for autonomous vehicles. Think of the many thousands of taxi and bus drivers. Where would they be with self driving vehicles? No need to tip a robot. For further information on autonomous cars, this is the best article I have ever read on the topic.
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/the-autonomous-automobile-the-path-to-driverless-cars-explored-feature
This is a good topic because I knew this was an issue that was becoming bigger in our society, but I didn't know how extreme it was. I liked how conversational your writing sounded, I felt like I could understand it better this way. I feel like you're right by saying they won't be able to take over the entire job market because then our economy wouldn't be able to function anymore. You had good economic connections, especially at the end. I had never really thought about why they wouldn't be able to take over the entire planet, but your points really made sense. Great writing though!
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video and reading your article, I have come to the conclusion that our future is really in the hands of innovation and technology. I agree with you that when technology initially takes over, it will be a rocky time for our people and the economy. Many people will find themselves without jobs, jobs they may have spent their lives pursuing and preparing for. However, I also hope that like the Ted Talks Video described, that the technology eventually enhances our everyday lives.
ReplyDeleteThis article really was an eye opener. The economy in our country is already spiraling to rock-bottom, and I can't even begin to imagine what our economy would like with robots replacing employees. I feel like eventually day-to-day tasks will all turn over to technology and Americans will become lazier than they already are. I think that we should stop this revolution before it begins so we can avoid those problems.
ReplyDeleteI agree strongly with your argument and how it's ruining the economy just as much as any politician. Yet at the same time you can't blame the companies either; just like the people in the US their money could be very tight, they could be struggling as well. And the misfortune for both sides is what causes the misfortune for the economy as a whole, it's an odd situation where no single answer could solve it all. Let's be honest, each side has a very valid argument for why they need the other to do something or why they need to do something to the other, and as long as we stay in that stand-off the economy is going to continue to decline. Obviously the government is trying to be the third party that saves the day which, granted, is kinda their job, but somehow they seem to just turn it into campaign material and content to argue over. It's just a mess.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how much technology is advancing these days; however, technology does help create innovation and make our country more productive. On the other hand, we must be careful with the use of machines because if machines replace too many workers then America will have a high unemployment rate. In result, this would cause there to be no purpose for the robots because the average American wouldn’t be able to afford it. Also, I never really thought about robots replacing lawyers, I always thought of them replacing workers in factories.
ReplyDeleteHonestly i'm not concerned about this. I just think it greates a lot new professions, as new kind of jobs will be needed. The world is developing all the time, and i personally believe its for the better. We will tear less on our body, and therefore live a longer, and easier life.
ReplyDeleteAnd in the end, they can only take the jobs we allow them to
DeleteI'll admit that I, like most other people, enjoy these recent technological advancements and do own my fair share of them. One thing that I have grown to hate, though, is people's growing dependency on technology. It provides an easy way out and a chance to relax. That's great. What people don't realize is all that you have just stated: the overtakings, replacements, and unavoidable outcomes should we stay on this path. There's a fine line between simply enjoying technology and becoming dependent on it, and I can't help but feel that we as a nation are about to cross that line if it has not been crossed already.
ReplyDeleteRobots/machines have taken the place of tons of people. In factories, these machines are more efficient than employees. Outside of factories and such, I do not think that robots will be able to take over corporate or office jobs. Robots may be more efficient with factories and other things, but when it comes to careers outside of factories like office jobs, police, teachers, etc, robots will not be able to takeover.
ReplyDeleteRobots taking over the business/industrial industry has been going on for many generations, and has been increasing. It first started with the factories where certain work fields were being let go because they were being replaced by robots/technical machines. It is an issue because we will be unemployed. There will be some jobs that cannot be replaced by robots such as the police, fire department, and teachers. It is an issue that needs to be addressed before robots take over and ruin employment because the only people that will be making money and keeping their jobs would be the ones making the robots.
ReplyDeleteI wish that robots were not causing people to be unemployed but is this really the case? For every robot there have to be engineers who design them, technicians who repair them, and people who build them. So the jobs that robots replace will be replaced by higher up jobs.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great piece that pointed a problem I wasn't aware of. the fact that machines could take place of jobs is horrifying thought. Prior to this piece my concern on technology was the effects it has on the human eyes and brain and how it weakens are skills in learning. To think technology does that, and now could take over jobs in the United States, it's definitely something that needs to be taken into serious concern, as has not been the case.
ReplyDeleteIn an economy where citizens are already short on job replacing them may bring up productivity but businesses must also offer opportunities for employees. So yes I am concerned but it's also our job as students now to gain experience to have the upper hand so we aren't the one's being replaced by just a robot. Also not all of us can maintenance robots which means that our possible job opportunities will diminish. Technology is meant to aid humanity not destroy it.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you that this can be a potential problem and that there are a lot of jobs that are being taken by robots. But on the other hand, with all of the robots that are being introduced into the workplace, this also creates more jobs for mechanics and people to watch over the safety of the robots.
ReplyDeleteRobots taking over the workplace is a scary thought and a little worrisome. But, I do think that, like you said, an economy is based on the people and if people are not receiving a steady income there will be no movement of products in the market. This being said, the way things are heading it looks like we will only continue to further our technological advances and quite possibly hurt our own economy because of it.
ReplyDeleteThis is very scary but by the way our technology is quickly advancing this only seems realistic. But replacing some jobs by robots may only create our already lazy country, worse. I think with some jobs it could be very useful and they would definitely be more capable of doing certain things than we are, but like you said its going further than just the factory work which is terrifying and could make getting a job even harder than it already is.
ReplyDeleteTechnology is taking over our lives and advancing us into the future. This would cause a decrease in income therefore a scarcity of demand of products. Robots may be more effective and resourceful in making products and doing task yet if they supply more than demanded it will create this big surplus in which we cannot come back because our incomes are low and will not rise. There is a job problem already in the United States about unemployment so we need to ask ourselves as a country if this is the way to go or will it hurt our country in the middle and poorer classes.
ReplyDeletePeople in general won’t care about this till it directly affects them in anyway. As soon as this does affect the people of the united sates, the only way our fresh water can be conserved is if we stop putting fresh water in our toilets and if people become smart and stop taking 15 minute showers every day.
ReplyDeleteAs technology advances, of course workplaces and the government are going to take advantage of this and create ways to make things go more smoothly and efficiently. It is scary, though, that one day all of the jobs that are now given to people are going to given to robots. This will open many jobs for mechanics who have to make sure that the robots being created are working properly, however.
ReplyDeleteWith the new technology coming out almost weekly, the companies are going to want to buy things that are going to save them money in the long run, even if it is expensive at first, if they're not going to have to pay all of these workers and just have the maintenance crew for the robots, companies are going to look deep into that. It is sad and bad for the people who are losing their jobs, but unfortunately companies aren't afraid to do that to people.
ReplyDeleteWhile it's true that money won't be distributed as much because more people won't have jobs, the fact that we live in a mixed economy allows for intervention whenever necessary and the capitalistic aspect will make people have to adapt in order to survive. Not to mention all of the jobs that require human interaction such as a construction worker, anything that requires complex decision making, and really any job that can be directly or indirectly hazardous. Don't think of them as robots because that entails that they are running by themselves. Call them machines, because machines still need human interaction to be efficient and even run, so as long as that's the case, people will still have jobs.
ReplyDeleteTo know that robots could eventually do nearly any job is scary. Business owners will get these robots even though some of them cost millions of dollars, it will pay off in the long run. Owners will also not have to deal with keeping their employees (robots) happy; unless robots get personalities all of a sudden.
ReplyDelete