Automation as a job killer is highly overrated. (accountant, company, tax)

[69Charger]

I think people are putting way too much into the new robotic trend. If anything, it just creates more jobs to take care of the robots.

100 years ago, 40% of American jobs were agricultural. Today it's 2%. Does anybody think that other 38% of the population, at the time, knew what a systems net engineer or an Uber driver were going to be?

We are going to be just fine. Tomorrow's jobs haven't even been invented yet.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by 69Charger

Automation as a (no/low skill) job killer is highly overrated.

No.... it really isn't.

If anything, it just creates more jobs to take care of the robots.

No... it really doesn't.
The problem is a) the far lower number of jobs remaining and b) the skill level of those jobs.

That doesn't make these changes in manufacturing bad though...
the only problem is in continuing to produce replacement workers for jobs that don't exist.

We are going to be just fine.

Not if we don't do something about the no/low kill labor glut.
Reduce the over supply ...and the remaining workers might actually be paid what they're worth.

[Hemlock140]

People go to college and major in the kind of work that is in demand at that time. Some are just not cut out for it, and will never succeed at something they have no aptitude for. Then there's the glut created by so many hoping to meet the demand, and when they graduate the market is flooded. The most successful are those that can anticipate the future needs, are capable of learning and doing that work, and don't get blindsided by emerging technology that eliminates the need before they get there. Robotics, but also mechanical and electrical engineering may be great for the future, but there are also the less glamorous jobs that may not pay as much but will always be needed. Some of those require degrees, and some do not. Many jobs in utilities, transportation, appliance and car repair, funeral and cemetery, law enforcement, management, education and healthcare. Some of these may have their demand reduced some by changing technology, but not all can be replaced by robots.

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by 69Charger

I think people are putting way too much into the new robotic trend. If anything, it just creates more jobs to take care of the robots.

That may be true, but the same people who the robots replace aren't necessarily able to transition into the role of tending to the robots.

I work in mech/electrical engineering. We have initiatives to reduce headcount by way of automation of various product lines with high yield loss due to operator error. One particular system may now require 1 engineer to supervise, that previously required 5-7 operators to perform these tasks. The skillsets don't correlate, and a there is a lot of turnover in general at those lower level positions. We've had people come in from fast food industry excited to be making more money, only to find in 2-3 weeks they've left because the work was "too hard". Happens quite frequently sadly....hence the high yield losses.

I'm specifically working on projects to combine robotic welding, with additive manufacturing (3D printing of metals). I've got enough work to keep me busy for years. Lights out manufacturing is the goal but I worry what that means for those who can't adapt.

[MLSFan]

bring on the robots, the people who hate them also refuse to work those low end jobs that they are replacing anyway

at least robots don't complain and say they want a 15 minute break, they just break down and get replaced

[SWFL_Native]

No I've seen automation applied correctly in the company I work for. We can lean out 50%+ of labor costs with automation. Those jobs are not created somewhere else.

[69Charger]

Those jobs are not created somewhere else.

Perhaps not in your company, but somewhere else in society they are. The proof is right in front of our eyes, if we worked our selves out of work through technology, why are there any jobs left today at all?

[Moe Howard]

Robotics? Meh. In the coming years I think 3D printing will include food production, tool and component, body parts, just about anything you can think of needing organic or not. It will get more complex: input a schematic and out comes a finish circuit board, including manufacturing the chips and components on the spot. Currently we see a lot of predictive programming, especially in genetic engineering.

So it's not a matter of developing technologies and jobs, but those of ill-intent selling us out for profit only. Robotics not the problem; not the job killer. It's this globalist, collective mindset beyond the controlled political dialectic.

[functionofx]

Originally Posted by 69Charger

I think people are putting way too much into the new robotic trend. If anything, it just creates more jobs to take care of the robots.

From the Luddites on, new technology has scared workers. It is likely the jobs robots take will relieve humans from menial or degrading work. At the other end Watson is likely to replace many lawyers, accountants, tax filers and what not. All will find other work.

[atltechdude]

Automation will decrease the number of low skill jobs available while increasing the amount of high skill ones.

But this is a process that has already been occurring over the last few decades without automation, mostly because of offshoring the low skill jobs to other countries where labor costs are cheaper.

So really, automation doesn't present any unique challenges to workers of today, the same rules still apply as they have in the recent past. To really get ahead, you need some education and specialized skills to go after those good white collar skill jobs.