Question

Critically discuss the following statement and reflect on the consequences for the future of work: ‘In twenty years’ time robots will have become integrated in many workplaces, replacing human labour with automated, highly productive machines’.

Answer 1

Rapid technological advancement led to an increased public interest in automation and robotics. The advantages of robotics is that

• It increases productivity as well as competitiveness- small to medium companies are the backbone of developed and developing countries. When robotics are used effectively it will increase the competitiveness of these companies. Increased use of robots enables companies of high cost countries to bring back their domestic base parts of the supply chain that they have previously out sourced to sources of cheaper labour. In current situation the greatest threat to employment is the ability to remain competetive.
• Increased productivity result in increased demand and creates new job.
• Automation can lead to increased demand for labour and impact positively on wages
• Instead of replacing jobs robots substitutes labour activities- Automation gives humans the opportunity to focus on higher skilled, higher quality and higher paid tasks.
• Governments and companies must focus on providing the right skills to current and future workers to ensure a continuation of the positive impact of robots on employment, job quality and wages

The rapid increase in use of robots impacted workplace by achieving broad economic sale without large number of employees. As technology has substituted labour in a lot of fields . It has dramatic concequences for middle class jobs and incomes. There is evidence that these techonology is destroying jobs and instead it creates new and better jobs.