Robots at Work: Where Do We Fit?

Abstract

This article presents a dilemma related to increasing use of robots at work. Artificial intelligence could erase jobs or create them, but economists agree that a new generation of smart machines will alter the rules of employment. Two emerging technologies that will help robots learn even faster are cloud robotics and deep learning, an advanced type of machine learning that allows robots to learn things that humans understand tacitly. However, robots require controlled environments, while humans, who are more flexible, can cope with unstructured tasks. That same adaptability is essential for medical technicians, plumbers, electricians, and many other middle-skill jobs. The experts expect pressures on middle-skill jobs to eventually reverse because these jobs combine not only knowledge, but also adaptability, problem solving, common sense, and the ability to communicate with other people. Businesses are already pairing human flexibility with mechanical precision.