By: Kyra Hanson
Robotics and its potential impact on employment is a matter of great debate. The increasing development and implementation of robots has led to various human jobs being replaced by robots. Robots have been filling roles in factories, operating rooms, office spaces, restaurants, stock and bond trading floors, and various other work environments. While robots promise a more efficient future, there is uncertainty regarding what that means for employment.
According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), the United States is the fourth largest single market for industrial robots in the world. In addition, the IFR estimates that during the year 2017, over 400 robots will serve as attendants in stores, supermarkets, museums, and various other locations. One example of the current state of robotics is Eatsa in San Francisco. Eatsa, a popular restaurant that opened in 2015, is an eatery where robots replace the role of cashiers, waiters, and bus boys. This model allows for efficient wait times and low costs, while taking human interaction out of the equation.
Before the Industrial Revolution, work was completed by skilled artisans who made a product from start to finish. However, the Industrial Revolution transformed the prior model into one where work was divided into small and specific sequences that required less overall skill but more workers. More than a century later, the first robotics company, Unimation, was founded in 1956. This company created the first industrial robot. By 2014, the Robotic Industries Association reported that the ordering of industrial robots had grown by 28% in units and 19% in dollar value since the previous year.
According to an article in the World Journal of Surgery regarding turnover times in robotic surgeries, the combination of robotic procedures and time-saving tactics allowed for the average surgery turnover time to be cut from 99.2 minutes to 53.2 minutes. This is just one example of the supporting side of robotics and employment. This side argues that robots help improve productivity and lower labor costs as a result. On the other hand, according to Frey and Osborne of Oxford University, certain industries have a combination of high current human employment and high probability of computerization. This combination is seen in industries such as transportation, production, and construction. This supports the opposing side to robotics, which argues that the implementation of robots will put Americans out of work and disrupt entire economic industries as a result.