Running head: TECHNOLOGICAL SUCCESSION

Technological Succession
Edward Rollins Jr.
Winston-Salem State University

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Technologys Amalgamation in Society

Technology is taking over society physically and emotionally. Everyday lives are suspect
to change, the influence machines have on the economy is unprecedented. Robots now reside
within work places--and have acquired the jobs within those workplacesthat human beings
should possess. Integration of these new automated technologies, however adequate they make
life, will inevitably hurt lifes society and people.
Humans Need Not Apply
CGP Grey, speaker in the video Humans Need Not
Apply, stated robots can consistently preform a task
better than many humans. The concept, and
performance, of general (automated) robots who can
learn to do any task is but one example as to why
humans may actually not need apply. CGP Grey (2014)
explained, Baxter has vision and can learn what you do
by watching you do it and he costs less than the average
annual salary of a human worker. Baxter, yet another strong example of danger to societys
economy, or peoples jobs, can do what many average human workers do as physical labor jobs.
To put things into retrospect, take for example horses; horses were used for transportation, battle,
farm work, etc. However, now machines (vehicles) took over the horses jobs; CPG Grey
(2014) states, Just as mechanical minds took over horses role, it can take over humans too.
Simply put, if a machine can do a task tirelessly and more efficiently for a lesser cost would it
not be wise to acquire one over a more expensive option (the human being)?

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Kiva: Working Robots. The speaker in the video presents Kiva Robots, a current mechanized
Worker that replaces human warehouse workers. Mick
Mountz (2011), Founder & CEO of Kiva Systems, says, It
starts with thousands of pods containing tens of thousands of
inventory items. (2011) Basically, the pods, or Kiva Robots,
come in thousands and move inventory all day as to where a
company would only be able to hire a few hundred workers in
comparison. Mick then states, The robots run twelve hours
plus without breaks and few errors. They are given specific tasks in the back of a warehouse and
seamlessly complete them. (2011) All in all, the miniature machines move around workloads all
day and cost much less to maintain then the average human employee.

Jobs and 2025 (Gartner). This article lays out potential futures for Americas contemporary
society and people. As civilization progresses (more so at its current rate), technology advances
on the economy: people, jobs, and money. Gartner, an American information technology
research and advisory firm headquartered in Stamford, stated, robots and drones, could replace
a third of all workers by 2025. (Thibodeau, 2014). Believe it or not, many companies have
already begin shifting real workers away; "Knowledge work will be automated," said
Sondergaard (2014), as will physical jobs with the arrival of smart robots. Kiva Robots are one
example of this. With technology moving in the direction it is, technological oriented majors, or
jobs, are also in a prominent rise. A professional Gartner Analyst, David Aaron (2014), even
explains, The door is open for the CIO and the IT organization to be a major player in digital
leadership, The numbers do not lie for rising technological jobs currently.

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Rebuttal. It is true that machines have the ability to overtake current roles in society and in
peoples lives negatively, but it can also do so positively. As technology progresses, medical,
food, transportation, communication, etc., excels. Life ultimately becomes easier of course at
costs. In conclusion, technologies progression will have its ups and downs; however, Humans
will find a way to navigate through said new age despite whatever disparities, or impurities that
may occur.

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References

Grey. [CGP Grey]. (2013, August 13). Humans Need Not Apply [Video file]
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Pq-S557XQU

Mountz, M. [ForaTv]. (2011, May 11). A Day in the Life of a Kiva Robot
[Video file] Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KRjuuEVEZs

Thibodeau, P. (2014, October 6) One in three jobs will be taken by software or robots by 2025.
Retrieved from http://www.computerworld.com/article/2691607/one-in-three-jobs-willbe-taken-by-software-or-robots-by-2025.html

Nightengale, R. [Untitled illustration of a Robot And Human]. Retrieved November 2, 2014

from http://www.mt4fxrobot.com/

[Untitled illustration of automated factory machines]. Retrieved November 2, 2014 from

http://www.used-robots.com/articles/viewing/robots-and-job-creation