Reinventing the Grind: Five Misconceptions on the Future of Work and Automation
When we look to the future of work, it’s sometimes hard to imagine how it’s all going to play out. Are we headed for a utopian era of office culture where our most mundane tasks are tackled by the technology around us? Are we looking at a future where repetitive work makes the leap toward mechanized automation and support staff are supplemented by a new standard in limited-skill labor? If so, what does this mean for the people in certain positions? How do we bridge this brave new frontier in terms of hiring, hierarchies, and human resources? Even the peripheral effects from workers' compensation and liability insurance would be reshaped under the surge of these new hi-tech helpers. Or would they?
These questions and more comprise a whole new collective mindset around what work will look like with the aid of AI and automation. And while there is so much to look forward to in terms of safety, production, and quality of service, some business owners and employees may still have concerns when it comes to a reinvention of the daily grind. Since we at Bear Robotics fancy ourselves experts in the field, we’re taking it upon ourselves to not only spread awareness on the benefits of the bionic coworkers but also dispel some of the major misconceptions around what mechanized support will and will not affect within the modern work environment.
We invite you to read along as we take a deep dive and deconstruct today’s biggest questions and dispel the biggest rumors in the world of workforce automation. We will start with the biggest misconception of all.
Will Robots Replace Humans?
Perhaps the most misunderstood implication of AI, automation, robotics, and robotic process automation, comes from the most human of questions – what is our role here? Way before the industrial revolution or advent of the internet, humans have wondered, “Will we be replaced with robots?”.
If you look at the consequences of each major labor evolution from the cotton gin to the computer age, you will see that not only has each of these inventions created more jobs but they’ve also made work significantly better. Can you imagine being an accountant before the calculator or running a restaurant before the dishwasher?
The same will be said for AI and robotics. While adopting these new tools will certainly change the way we work and how we handle certain aspects of our jobs, they are meant to improve both the quality of work produced and the quality of life for those around them.
As for the question of will they replace certain jobs, we believe that they will replace certain tasks but can never truly replace human capital. In fact, the World Economic Forum predicts in its “Future of Jobs Report 2020” that AI is expected to create 97 million new jobs worldwide by 2025.
Will Robots Be Too Costly for Some?
Another fear from the implementation of robotics in the workforce is that they will only be affordable for a select group of businesses. In a world where our mom-and-pop shops have already been hit hard by big business and online ordering, retail, etc., how will robotics play out to the advantage of the little guy? Will only the biggest names get the break as usual?
Absolutely not. Think about it: as we get smarter about work, we’re also getting smarter about the business end behind it. Many robotics manufacturers offer easy payment options and even DIY solutions for creating process automation. At Bear Robotics, this was certainly one of the biggest concerns on our end as well. Coming from the small business world, we know exactly how difficult it is to be competitive in today’s market, this is why we offer our clients easy leasing options for as little as $33/day. Essentially, this gives them a full-time employee to tackle all the work it’s nearly impossible to find a human to do and they can pay a fraction of the price for these repetitive services.
Robots Will Become Smarter Than Humans and Take Over the World!
Despite the scare tactics from popular sci-fi movies, robots have no intentions of taking over our world, but this does not stop folks from asking. In fact, “can robots take over the world” is the second-ranked query related to AI in Google.
In a lot of ways, AI can be extremely smart. I mean, just think of how you reached this article – it was probably discovered in large part to ranking algorithms, search engine optimization, or even natural language processing (Hey Google, can robots take over the earth?) but think also about how much human input was required in tandem. Without us, AI is almost completely useless. Without what is commonly referred to as a “Human-In-The-Loop,” AI is essentially just a bunch of complex code without any real judgment, curiosity, or consciousness.
Humans Will Never Adapt to a World with Robots
We all know the technologic skeptics, cynics, and critics – the self-proclaimed Luddites. They exist in every country and every company. You’ll often see this old school crew rebelling against all things robots, walking around with flip phones, or perusing the vinyl section of any retail store. And many believe we’ll all take this attitude towards new tech in the workplace.
This simply is not the case. With each invention, humans are surprisingly apt to adapt. Just think about how many AI friends and automation cohorts you already work with on a day-to-day basis. From point of sale systems to timesheet processing, from self-timed coffee machines to self-order kiosks, automation is already helping to make your workday better. And believe it or not, there are thousands of bots, both electronic and mechanical, that make our modern business world viable and they’re already working right alongside you.
The introduction of mechanical robotics, just like that of software AI, will quickly become the norm, helping humans with the hard parts of their jobs so they can be freed to focus on what matters most.
A World with Robotics in the Workforce is Far Off
Yes, robots have always gone hand-in-glove with fantasies of a distant future. It seems like each attempt to bring bots into the real world has been short lived or curtailed by the critics. But the technology is catching up rapidly. Every 18 months, our capacity to create new tech not only increases but doubles. This is what’s known as Moore’s Law.
In just the last four years, we’ve seen significant strides in the way we’re manufacturing workforce robotics. Bear Robotics has been at the forefront of this new frontier, having engineered our very own restaurant bot, Servi, and it’s popping up in the most unexpected places and surprising even some of the harshest cynics. We believe the world will benefit from bots in a staggering way. We’re already seeing a surge in necessity and we’re servicing more restaurants than ever.
Hopefully, after reading this, you too will see that robotics is not only the future but the near future and one where work is transformed to exceed the everyday with exceptional experiences for both your staff and the customers they serve.
