The Robots Are Taking Over
The robot apocalypse is coming. Soon, we'll all be slaves to our mechanical overlords. Us humans will be on the streets failing to find a job because we aren't nearly as perfect as our robotic brethren. Lacking basic human weakness, robots are the type of worker every business wants to hire. Artificial Intelligence will pave the way for a perfect and automated Utopian society where humans are irrelevant except their pathetic history of constantly making errors. The future is bright for you if your brain is a circuit board, but if your brain is made of gooey grey matter then you may not have a future at all.
Alright, perhaps that's a bit of an exaggeration, but there is a genuine concern that AI is slowly but surely taking jobs away from humans. As technology develops and the field of robotics improves robots and AI become more capable, and while this may be an exciting time for those who love the idea of hyper-intelligent machines it also raises the concern of humans even being necessary.
Robots Really Are Great
What do businesses want from an employee? To be highly skilled at their job? To be an efficient worker? To be motivated and have a desire to succeed? To be able to focus on a task? To do their job and never procrastinate? Well robots can't only do all of those requirements, they are better at them than humans.
Robots will only do what they are programmed to do. Tell them to do something and they'll do it. Not only that, they'll do it at a rate that humans cannot keep up with.
Furthermore, humans have a lot of other requirements that businesses have to consider. They need time off; they need to eat; they need to sleep; they have families; they tire; they get ill; etc. Robots have none of these issues. Robots have no need for sustenance, no desire for leisure, no need for communication. They can work all day everyday and never need a break.
Well, except if they need maintenance. But that is a small blemish compared to the amount of time wasted by humans.
Our primitive brains are simply not up to that standard and everyone knows it. This is why people are afraid that the rise in working robots could lead to them losing their job. Not just that, but also having their skill set become utterly useless.
Perhaps humanity needs to understand the impact of robotics on the population's lives. For some, AI will only lead to humans becoming redundant. Should governments around the world regulate the world of robotics to prevent this from happening?
Pro-robot or anti-robot, it's a topic that's impossible to avoid. Even some people who are at the forefront of AI development are concerned about AI. Elon Musk, who may end up making plenty of Uber, lorry, and taxi drivers redundant through his work on self-driving cars, has said that he is very concerned about AI, even going on to say he was "summoning a demon" by working on AI.
So let's actually look into the world of robotics and AI and see how it is affecting the world.
Machines of the Past
Robots taking the jobs of humans is actually not a recent thing at all. In fact, technological advancements have been reshaping employment opportunities since humans first existed.
For many people, this is proof enough that robotics is nothing to worry about. People still have jobs today and many jobs were created by technological advancements. It is often argued that technology instead creates jobs and effectively eliminates tedious jobs that people don't want to work anyway. Over the years, machines have taken over mostly "muscle power" jobs that require hard labour. This has led the way for workers to take on more "caring" jobs. Laundry machines may have taken over the jobs of human washers/launderers, but jobs have grown in the fields of teaching, welfare and care. Now that there are less jobs of labour, other industries can benefit from those who were no longer needed.
Technology has also helped increase the productivity of workers in knowledge intensive jobs due to the ease of retrieving information using the internet. This also makes these jobs more accessible to more people.
Many jobs in the past were once reliant on humans are now almost entirely done by robots. Switchboard operators, bowling alley pinsetters and bridge toll collectors are now mostly automated, with retail checkout workers are quickly seeing their jobs replaced by self-checkout machines.
That said, retail checkout workers are still often wanted due to companies believing that consumers value human interaction and therefore integrate customer service with retail checkout, keeping self-checkout machines at bay in some locations.
Overall, the past tells us that robotics aren't to be afraid of. New jobs will arise and we, as humans, will adapt to the changes and evolve the workplace. Right?
Machines of the Future
Well, perhaps not. Looking at the past can help, but robots were basic back then. They couldn't do the wide array of tasks that modern robots are capable of. Not only that, we're getting to a stage where we don't understand how AI's electronic brain works.
It's an odd statement given that humans create robots, but it's true. Despite machines learning more and more everyday, humans aren't fully responsible for their intelligence. How else do robots learn?
Through other robots.
Yes, machines learn from other machines. You might think that this realisation doesn't make much sense because surely the "teacher" machines must be fully knowledgeable of everything they teach and the humans programmed that intelligence into their brains. But no, that isn't the case either.
In actuality the teacher bots don't teach, they test. They present the bot with a quiz and the robots answer them. Those who score the lowest are removed, and new bots are constructed from the successful ones. Repeat the process, and gradually the generations of robots get smarter and smarter. So, no one actually knows how their minds work, we just know which ones are more correct than others. It's pretty interesting, although it does raise concerns.
These bots are basically learning without the need for humans now. Therefore, we start to lose control over them and what they are learning. Humans do oversee the process and ensure that the bots are learning properly, but we don't know how far this learning will go or if the bots will outright become smarter than humans in all areas. Maybe this is a bit of an exaggeration, but it's a fear some people have.
Regardless of whether you buy the doom and gloom or not, AI is progressively learning and becoming smarter, and it's something that many people believe needs careful monitoring.
Don't Hurt the Poor Robot
Despite feeling absolutely nothing, many people feel bad for robots when they are "abused".
There's a video on Youtube by On Demand News which features footage of a four-legged robot being kicked to demonstrate its balance. It's incredible how the robot is able to react so quickly to being kicked and in what's almost a life-like way. But one look at the comments and you see a familiar pattern.
Many feel admitted to feeling empathy for the object. Remember, it's not a living thing, it has no sentience. Yet somehow, despite knowing this, there were people who thought the kicks were mean. Some were very defensive about their sympathy for the robots, with their reasoning being that the animal-like movements were so effective that it was just like kicking a real animal. There's science behind this reasoning too, humans just naturally feel sorry for things that act as if it was really alive. Of course, it's not alive. Beat them up all you want and it will feel no pain.
Others felt that this robot abuse would lead to the robots of the future to get revenge. Probably a tongue-in-cheek comment, but still one some may actually be serious about. Previously, I thought that it was a ridiculous thing to even contemplate. Why would humans programme a robot with the ability to try and harm us?
But now that I know they learn effectively by themselves, I start to understand why people are afraid of the imminent robot rebellion...
Okay, I'm exaggerating. Still, it'll be interesting to see how robots develop in the next few decades and if they really will become as clever as everyone fears.
Final Thoughts
The world of robotics is filled with excitement, intrigue and terror. It's truly amazing what is possible nowadays: self-driving(ish) cars, self-teaching machines and robo-animals that make you forget they're just a bunch of cold, dead metal. But we should probably be aware of the potential robots have in the world. It's entirely possible for you to lose your relevance because a robot has taken your job in the future. Robots are perhaps the best tool we could possibly have, but maybe we should limit their use so that other people can still be useful too. However, all we can really do is just live our lives and see how AI will change our society.
Sources from:
BBC: Why your new work colleague could be a robothttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51442445
BizFluent: What Are Robots Used for in a Business?
https://bizfluent.com/info-7783825-robots-used-business.html
BT: Man versus machine: 9 human jobs that have been taken over by robotshttps://home.bt.com/tech-gadgets/future-tech/9-jobs-overtaken-by-robots-11364003046052
CNBC: Robots could take over 20 million jobs by 2030, study claimshttps://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/26/robots-could-take-over-20-million-jobs-by-2030-study-claims.html
Guardian: Technology has created more jobs than it has destroyed, says 140 years of data
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/aug/17/technology-created-more-jobs-than-destroyed-140-years-data-census
Smithsonian Magazine: Neuroscience Explores Why Humans Feel Empathy for Robotshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/neuroscience-explores-why-humans-feel-empathy-for-robots-38883609/
The Verge: How hard will the robots make us work?
https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/27/21155254/automation-robots-unemployment-jobs-vs-human-google-amazon
Wait But Why: Elon Musk: The World's Raddest Man
https://waitbutwhy.com/2015/05/elon-musk-the-worlds-raddest-man.html
Wired: The WIRED Guide to Robots
https://www.wired.com/story/wired-guide-to-robots/
Youtube (CGP Grey): How Machines Learn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9OHn5ZF4Uo
Youtube (On Demand News): Watch robot dog 'spot' run, walk...and get kicked
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR5Z6AoMh6U
ZDNet: Robotics in business: Everything humans need to know
https://www.zdnet.com/article/robotics-in-business-everything-humans-need-to-know/
Alright, perhaps that's a bit of an exaggeration, but there is a genuine concern that AI is slowly but surely taking jobs away from humans. As technology develops and the field of robotics improves robots and AI become more capable, and while this may be an exciting time for those who love the idea of hyper-intelligent machines it also raises the concern of humans even being necessary.
Robots Really Are Great
What do businesses want from an employee? To be highly skilled at their job? To be an efficient worker? To be motivated and have a desire to succeed? To be able to focus on a task? To do their job and never procrastinate? Well robots can't only do all of those requirements, they are better at them than humans.
Robots will only do what they are programmed to do. Tell them to do something and they'll do it. Not only that, they'll do it at a rate that humans cannot keep up with.
Furthermore, humans have a lot of other requirements that businesses have to consider. They need time off; they need to eat; they need to sleep; they have families; they tire; they get ill; etc. Robots have none of these issues. Robots have no need for sustenance, no desire for leisure, no need for communication. They can work all day everyday and never need a break.
Well, except if they need maintenance. But that is a small blemish compared to the amount of time wasted by humans.
Our primitive brains are simply not up to that standard and everyone knows it. This is why people are afraid that the rise in working robots could lead to them losing their job. Not just that, but also having their skill set become utterly useless.
Perhaps humanity needs to understand the impact of robotics on the population's lives. For some, AI will only lead to humans becoming redundant. Should governments around the world regulate the world of robotics to prevent this from happening?
Pro-robot or anti-robot, it's a topic that's impossible to avoid. Even some people who are at the forefront of AI development are concerned about AI. Elon Musk, who may end up making plenty of Uber, lorry, and taxi drivers redundant through his work on self-driving cars, has said that he is very concerned about AI, even going on to say he was "summoning a demon" by working on AI.
So let's actually look into the world of robotics and AI and see how it is affecting the world.
Machines of the Past
Robots taking the jobs of humans is actually not a recent thing at all. In fact, technological advancements have been reshaping employment opportunities since humans first existed.
For many people, this is proof enough that robotics is nothing to worry about. People still have jobs today and many jobs were created by technological advancements. It is often argued that technology instead creates jobs and effectively eliminates tedious jobs that people don't want to work anyway. Over the years, machines have taken over mostly "muscle power" jobs that require hard labour. This has led the way for workers to take on more "caring" jobs. Laundry machines may have taken over the jobs of human washers/launderers, but jobs have grown in the fields of teaching, welfare and care. Now that there are less jobs of labour, other industries can benefit from those who were no longer needed.
Technology has also helped increase the productivity of workers in knowledge intensive jobs due to the ease of retrieving information using the internet. This also makes these jobs more accessible to more people.
Many jobs in the past were once reliant on humans are now almost entirely done by robots. Switchboard operators, bowling alley pinsetters and bridge toll collectors are now mostly automated, with retail checkout workers are quickly seeing their jobs replaced by self-checkout machines.
That said, retail checkout workers are still often wanted due to companies believing that consumers value human interaction and therefore integrate customer service with retail checkout, keeping self-checkout machines at bay in some locations.
Overall, the past tells us that robotics aren't to be afraid of. New jobs will arise and we, as humans, will adapt to the changes and evolve the workplace. Right?
Machines of the Future
Well, perhaps not. Looking at the past can help, but robots were basic back then. They couldn't do the wide array of tasks that modern robots are capable of. Not only that, we're getting to a stage where we don't understand how AI's electronic brain works.
It's an odd statement given that humans create robots, but it's true. Despite machines learning more and more everyday, humans aren't fully responsible for their intelligence. How else do robots learn?
Through other robots.
Yes, machines learn from other machines. You might think that this realisation doesn't make much sense because surely the "teacher" machines must be fully knowledgeable of everything they teach and the humans programmed that intelligence into their brains. But no, that isn't the case either.
In actuality the teacher bots don't teach, they test. They present the bot with a quiz and the robots answer them. Those who score the lowest are removed, and new bots are constructed from the successful ones. Repeat the process, and gradually the generations of robots get smarter and smarter. So, no one actually knows how their minds work, we just know which ones are more correct than others. It's pretty interesting, although it does raise concerns.
These bots are basically learning without the need for humans now. Therefore, we start to lose control over them and what they are learning. Humans do oversee the process and ensure that the bots are learning properly, but we don't know how far this learning will go or if the bots will outright become smarter than humans in all areas. Maybe this is a bit of an exaggeration, but it's a fear some people have.
Regardless of whether you buy the doom and gloom or not, AI is progressively learning and becoming smarter, and it's something that many people believe needs careful monitoring.
Don't Hurt the Poor Robot
Despite feeling absolutely nothing, many people feel bad for robots when they are "abused".
There's a video on Youtube by On Demand News which features footage of a four-legged robot being kicked to demonstrate its balance. It's incredible how the robot is able to react so quickly to being kicked and in what's almost a life-like way. But one look at the comments and you see a familiar pattern.
Many feel admitted to feeling empathy for the object. Remember, it's not a living thing, it has no sentience. Yet somehow, despite knowing this, there were people who thought the kicks were mean. Some were very defensive about their sympathy for the robots, with their reasoning being that the animal-like movements were so effective that it was just like kicking a real animal. There's science behind this reasoning too, humans just naturally feel sorry for things that act as if it was really alive. Of course, it's not alive. Beat them up all you want and it will feel no pain.
Others felt that this robot abuse would lead to the robots of the future to get revenge. Probably a tongue-in-cheek comment, but still one some may actually be serious about. Previously, I thought that it was a ridiculous thing to even contemplate. Why would humans programme a robot with the ability to try and harm us?
But now that I know they learn effectively by themselves, I start to understand why people are afraid of the imminent robot rebellion...
Okay, I'm exaggerating. Still, it'll be interesting to see how robots develop in the next few decades and if they really will become as clever as everyone fears.
Final Thoughts
The world of robotics is filled with excitement, intrigue and terror. It's truly amazing what is possible nowadays: self-driving(ish) cars, self-teaching machines and robo-animals that make you forget they're just a bunch of cold, dead metal. But we should probably be aware of the potential robots have in the world. It's entirely possible for you to lose your relevance because a robot has taken your job in the future. Robots are perhaps the best tool we could possibly have, but maybe we should limit their use so that other people can still be useful too. However, all we can really do is just live our lives and see how AI will change our society.
Sources from:
BBC: Why your new work colleague could be a robothttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51442445
BizFluent: What Are Robots Used for in a Business?
https://bizfluent.com/info-7783825-robots-used-business.html
BT: Man versus machine: 9 human jobs that have been taken over by robotshttps://home.bt.com/tech-gadgets/future-tech/9-jobs-overtaken-by-robots-11364003046052
CNBC: Robots could take over 20 million jobs by 2030, study claimshttps://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/26/robots-could-take-over-20-million-jobs-by-2030-study-claims.html
Guardian: Technology has created more jobs than it has destroyed, says 140 years of data
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/aug/17/technology-created-more-jobs-than-destroyed-140-years-data-census
Smithsonian Magazine: Neuroscience Explores Why Humans Feel Empathy for Robotshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/neuroscience-explores-why-humans-feel-empathy-for-robots-38883609/
The Verge: How hard will the robots make us work?
https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/27/21155254/automation-robots-unemployment-jobs-vs-human-google-amazon
Wait But Why: Elon Musk: The World's Raddest Man
https://waitbutwhy.com/2015/05/elon-musk-the-worlds-raddest-man.html
Wired: The WIRED Guide to Robots
https://www.wired.com/story/wired-guide-to-robots/
Youtube (CGP Grey): How Machines Learn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9OHn5ZF4Uo
Youtube (On Demand News): Watch robot dog 'spot' run, walk...and get kicked
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR5Z6AoMh6U
ZDNet: Robotics in business: Everything humans need to know
https://www.zdnet.com/article/robotics-in-business-everything-humans-need-to-know/
Put them in charge. All hail the robots!!!!
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