Should we be afraid of robots?

The fear that robots will have a negative impact on our lives is present in many people. In which way could robots be a threat to us? And are these fears well-founded?

 

We arrived to the era of industry 4.0 which is defined as a trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies. Factories that have followed this trend and installed the latest technologies are called “smart factories”. Through the Internet of Things, the robots included in the work processes can communicate with each other and cooperate with humans as well. These are nowadays called cobots which stands for collaborative robots. A perfect example is Sawyer from Rethink Robotics. According to the manufacturer, it is ideal for precise tasks that are impractical to automate with conventional robots. But as mentioned previously, the most revolutionary characteristic of cobots is that they are declared as safe while working next to human co-workers. Sawyer is also equipped with eyes presumably to make it more friendly and human-like.

 

What made industry 4.0 possible is the combination of development in technology and the decreasing prices of automation technology. At the moment 1.8 million industrial robots are in operation and between 2016 and 2019 another 1.4 million new robots are expected to be installed by manufacturers. The reason for the vast expansion of smart factories is the interest in reaching a higher efficiency level. Well functioning robots are more productive and the chance of making mistakes can almost be eliminated. From a business point of view, industrial robots are a great way to boost profitability. But considering the fact that by the end of the century it is most likely that several millions of robots are going to be added to the production processes worldwide, the concerns regarding the current employees is highly understandable.

 

Interestingly, until now there has been no relationship proven between a country’s use of robots and the percentage of manufacturing jobs lost. Despite the installation of more robots between 1993 and 2007, Germany lost just 19% of its manufacturing jobs between 1996 and 2012 compared to a 33% drop in the U.S. In fact, statistics show that the number of robots in operation might have a positive effect on employment. A logical explanation would be that the new job opportunities within the sector of robotics and engineering outnumber the jobs lost in manufacturing. So instead of thinking about robots as a potential threat to human employees, they are only a cause for restructuring the labor market. A similar situation occurred after the industrial revolution 200 years ago. History is repeating itself.

 

Of course, the future will always be uncertain, one can only predict what will happen. Statistics and mathematical correlations between phenomenon are the key to having an idea about what can be expected. Take a look at the following infographic from TradeMachines to find more interesting facts and numbers about the subject! Robots might just brighten our future...

By Molly Connell, TradeMachines