The Age of Robotics

LouAngela Grant
Winston-Salem State University
October 27, 2014

The Age of Robotics

Robotics is known as the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction,
operation, and application of robots. The technological evolution of robotics has been around
since before the 1960s when the first robotic arm started replacing auto workers on the assembly
line. Several robotic researchers have always advocated that robotics will lead to greater
productivity and economic growth. However, laborers (consumers) on the other hand, often
have maintained a more pessimistic view of the robotic outlook. They believe that the
introduction of robotics will eventually decrease or simply eliminate the need for manual labor.
The discussion of robotics requires debaters to weigh both sides of the robotic technological
debate.

A recurring fear regarding the technological age is that there will be a mass
unemployment of skilled labor. In an article entitled The Great Robotics Debate, Moshe Vardi
says Neoclassical economists predicted that this would not happen, because people would find
other jobs, albeit possibly after a long period of painful adjustment. By and large, that prediction
has proven to be correct." (2007) In opposition to this thought, Jeffrey Sachs and Laurence
Kotlikoff posed the question, "What if machines are getting so smart, thanks to their
microprocessor brains, that they no longer need unskilled labor to operate?" (2007) In fact, their
question is definitely logical. Currently, smart machines (or robatic machines) collect highway
tolls, check consumers out at stores, take blood pressure, the list goes on and on. Smart machines
will have an impact on the job market. Steven Cherry, IEEE Spectrum's Techwise Conversations,

indicated that "by 2045 machines will be able to do if not any work that humans can do, then a very
significant fraction of the work that humans can do" (2007).

Many pessimists believe that the robotics industry will take over all the jobs for
skilled laborers. Consequently, various optimists disagree with such a thought process. Thus, it
is important to view the service industry that requires the use of skilled labor. According to
Marcus Wohlsens article When Robots Take All the Work, Whatll Be Left for Us to Do?
The need for human labor will continue because so many of our basic human qualities are hard
to code. Programmers are unable to wire computers/robots to have basic human qualities that
make labors unique. For instance, computers/robotics have often been compared to giant
calculators. A writer by the name of Wohlsen quotes game designer and author Celia Pearce
Pew, as saying They can do things that require logic, but logic is only one part of the human
mind. (2014) Humans will continue to be valuable because machines cannot produce empathy,
creativity, judgment or critical thinking. Customer services, healthcare, and education are all
occupations that would still require a personal touch.

Even though there are jobs that the technological age cannot replace, there are jobs that
certainly have and will continue to be affected by robotics, live transportation and journalism. As
jobs are deemed obsolete, service job openings may find it difficult to keep up with the demand
for new positions. Hence, this could leave many people out of work. As jobs are lost the
economy will begin to face changes as well. These changes are not likely to be positive.

Economic history has shown us that increased productivity links with economic growth.
Additionally, human labor has driven production. Likewise a robotic workforce can enhance
productivity and growth on its own, and ultimately eliminate jobs in the process. Wohshen says
the whole paradigm of exchanging labor for pay starts to break down (2014). In essence, we
would have less workers as computers/robotics would take over the workforce. If there is no
work for humans, how would laborers be able to afford the products that robots make?

Pondering the aspect of a robotic workforce certainly brings forward questions that
should be addressed. How will the workforce determine who works and who does not? How
will the necessary skills for the production of robots be determined? How will society purchase
goods and materials? These are all questions that society must consider in the progression of
robotics. As humans it is our responsibility to enhance the world in which we live. It is also our
obligation to determine the impact of such enhancements.

Today, robotics is a definite part of society that is here to stay. The very thought that
robots could make employment itself optional seems amazing. However, the promise that
robotics would bring about economic growth seems less likely as jobs are made obsolete. If
robots take over the workforce, society as a whole would be left to redefine the economic
structure of the world. Therefore, the debate of robotics seems endless as the world continues to
evolve with the evolution of the robotic age.

Reference
Vardi, M. The Great Robotics Debate. (2014) Retrieved from
http://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2013/7/165474-the-great-robotics-debate/fulltext
Wohlsen, M. When Robots Take All the Work, Whatll Be Left for Us to Do?(2007) Retrieved
from http://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2013/7/165474-the-great-robotics-debate/fulltext

Annotated Bibliography
When Robots Take All the Work, Whatll Be Left for Us to Do. ( 2014) Permalink
Received from: http://www.wired.com/2014/08/when-robots-take-all-the-work-whatllbe-left-for-us-to-do/
This article discusses that Robots have loomed over the future of labor for decadesat
least since robotic arms started replacing auto workers on the assembly line in the early 1960s.
Optimists say that more robots will lead to greater productivity and economic growth, while
pessimists complain that huge swaths of the labor force will see their employment options
automated out of existence.
The Robot Economy: Will Machines Take Your Job by 2025. (2014) Live Science
Lewis, T
From driving cars to caring for the elderly, many of the tasks humans perform today will
soon be taken over by robots and other forms of artificial intelligence, experts say. But a new
report finds that people disagree about whether that future will be an optimistic or a pessimistic
one. Technology will continue to disrupt jobs, but more jobs seem likely to be created, said
Jonathan Grudin, a principal researcher for Microsoft in Seattle.
The Robots Are Coming, but Are They Really Taking Our Jobs. (2014) The Atlantic
LaFranceAug , A

Here's what we can agree on: The robots are coming. They're coming to your house, to
your doctor's office, to your car, and to your favorite coffee shop. By 2025, technologists believe
artificial intelligence will permeate wide swaths of day-to-day life. And, obviously, these robots
are going to take some human jobs.