The rate for wages has been on the rise while the rate of work may not be keeping up with this trend. Today, it is costing businesses much more money to compensate workers at even the lowest level. Not to mention the benefits and insurance rack up even more costs for business owners. All these expenses and that still does not guarantee a job will be done correctly. That is why robots replacing humans in the workforce is quickly becoming a strategic alternative to benefit businesses. As our technology growth increases every day, it is starting to become more logical to make the switch. Of course, not every job can be replaced but there are certain instances in which a change would benefit many people. People benefiting from this type of switch would include business owners, the people who make the robots, and surprisingly other employees within that job. With this idea that robots can replace most humans, money is being saved, better jobs are being created, and the work is done more efficiently.
Expert Opinion
Can all jobs be replaced by humans? This question is becoming more relevant as our technology continues to increase each day. The idea that all jobs can be done by robots is a bit ambitious, but the argument can be made that many jobs do fall under that category. There are already certain instances where technology has overtaken human jobs and that shows that it can be done successfully. As the cost of living increases business owners are doing their best to maximize their money by whatever means possible.
Zeng Zhiyong, manager of Chinese company Vision Technology, discusses his success in replacing humans with robots. Statistics from his company show that the cost of labor was reduced while the output of work increased. In 2012 the factory had 440 workers producing 4 million products, while after the installation of robots the number of workers decreased by 70 but almost 5 million more products were produced (Zhiyong 1). This a prime of example of why robots are needed in certain areas. More work is able to be done at a lower cost which is beneficial to the economy. From Zhiyong’s past experiences, his credibility is proven through the success of his business. He emphasizes how money is saved, creating a better process for the company. Although this change would cost an initial investment, the benefits in the future are what make it such a strong argument. David Lynch, a writer for Bloomberg Businessweek, discusses how robots are taking over jobs to the point where there will be none left for humans. Jobs are being lost due to the increase in technology but what happens to the people who become jobless? That’s the point, nothing happens to those people which detriments our economy. Lynch states that “Companies have been buying technology instead of hiring” (Lynch 1). Money is being spent in the wrong areas. Why create less jobs for people when people want to work? The lack of supply for jobs will continue to hurt our economy as long as we keep developing.
Forbes Staff writer John Tamny argues that robots are becoming a viable resource to use in the workforce. He further emphasizes that robots have “adopted human qualities that will allow them to replace actual human labor” (Tamney 1). It is obvious that certain technology is for the better in our generation because it eliminates manual labor. An example of this type of technology would be agricultural tools. What is being argued deeper is how robots will be able to do things that are considered unique to humans. Once the barrier that separates people from robots is broken, more jobs will be able to be replaced. Robots are being developed to have humans qualities because it will allow the economy to grow. Tamny is in support of robots replacing human jobs because of they way it will allow our society to develop.
According to Stacia Pierce, CEO of Ultimate Lifestyle Enterprises, technology will not replace jobs because humans possess certain traits that robots do not. She emphasizes her point by stating three skills that are unique to humans which are “Communicating effectively, interpersonal skills, and making connections” (Pierce 1). Robots can do a job to a certain extent, however, they lack communication outside of their programmed boundaries. Robots are created to understand their individual situation but if something outside of their programmed knowledge comes up, they are useless. Humans also possess interpersonal skills which allows them to adjust in situations. For example, a robot sells something at a certain price and that cannot change. But if a human is selling something they are able to barter with that customer so an agreement can be reached. In businesses many customers value the relationship with who they are buying from. Humans allow this to happen when they are able to make connections and build relationships. Humans will always possess traits that robots do not have, creating leverage between the two.
Methods
To gather information on what people knew about robots replacing humans, I created a survey that outlined main ideas of the topic. It also allowed people to take an opinion on their thoughts on the idea. I handed out a 10 question multiple choice survey to 25 people on my college campus. The ages of those who answered this ranged from 16-60 years old, both males and females.
My first few questions were fact based questions, I wanted to get a little background information on what each person knew before asking about their opinion. I asked people if they had jobs and if those jobs could be affected by robots. My next set of questions were asked in regards to each individual’s thoughts and opinions. I wanted to find out how people felt about robots replacing jobs, whether it was a good or bad idea. Certain trends were able to be identified based on how similarly people answered.
Results Based on my survey, people who shared similar characteristics answered the same way. For example, almost 80% of people who have jobs think that robots should not replace all humans. While about only 60% of people without jobs think robots should replace all humans. Also factored into questions were people’s age. People born in different time periods have different views on topics concerning technology.
Discussion
From the results of the survey that I conducted, assumptions can be made on what type of people are for and against robots replacing humans. For example, people who answered A to question 2, were more likely to also answer A to question 7. These trends show that people who have something in common typically agree. As shown in the chart above, people who had jobs were against robots replacing humans because they feared losing their job. While people who didn’t work were more interested in the technology growth because they have nothing to lose. The same can be said for age. People of the new generation are much more comfortable with technology, which is why younger people agree with the switch. Oppose to the older generation that does not have the same connection to technology. Conclusion
Based on the information gathered it can be concluded that the newer generation of people agree with technology becoming a bigger part of our lives. That can be attributed to the fact we are more inclined to it because of the time we were born in. Also, most people are becoming aware of instances where robots replacing humans is already beneficial to our society. It is only natural for us to evolve which is robots replacing humans in the workforce is becoming such a viable option.
References Lynch, David J. "Did That Robot Take My Job?." Bloomberg Businessweek 4261 (2012): 15-16. Business Source Premier. Web. 2 Dec. 2016. Pierce, Stacia. "3 Human Skills That Robots Can’T Replace." Fortune.Com (2015): N.PAG. Business Source Premier. Web. 1 Dec. 2016. Tamny, John. "Why Robots Will Be The Biggest Job Creators In World History."Forbes.Com (2015): 4. Business Source Premier. Web. 1 Dec. 2016. Zhiyong, Zeng. "Chinese Factories Turn to Robots and Automation, Replacing Human Workers Demanding Higher Wages." YouTube. YouTube, 11 Sept. 2016. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.