Running head: ROBOTICS: THE END OF EMPLOYMENT

Robotics: The End of Employment

Zearious Miller
Winston-Salem University

ROBOTICS: THE END OF EMPLOYMENT

Robotics: The End of Employment

Humans have already started replacing jobs with robotic technology for example: Baxter
is a low wage industrial robot who can be taught how to do any simple industrial job (Grey,
2014). Roboticists have already designed robots are that are more competent than their human
creators (Grey, 2014). Businesses will want to hire robots because they are cheaper, more
competent, and easier to work with. Jobs ranging from agriculture to doctors are already being
occupied by bots (Grey, 2014). The thought of robots taking over sounds like an idea straight out
of a science fiction horror story, contrarily it is the world's inevitable future. Robotic technology
will take over human jobs.
Self-Driving Cars
The creation of self-driving cars has closed doors for employment all around the world. Google
has developed technology that will dramatically lower human employment (Grey, 2014). Public
transportation is a large labor industry. Once self-driving transportation is put into place, there
will not be a need for drivers, as a result, a
huge number of the transportation industry's
employees will be out of work. Though
Self-driving cars may seem beneficial to the
public and it does make the roads safer; it
also ruins families and prevents income for
many people.

Jurvetson, S ( 2012,November 15) Driving the Google SelfDriving Car [Photograph]. Retrieved from
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/8190954243

ROBOTICS: THE END OF EMPLOYMENT

Watson
Jobs that require higher education such as being a lawyers
and doctors can be replaced by Watson, a supercomputer that
can think and learn for itself. Watson can store an infinite
amount of information about anything. Watson can take over
thinking jobs within the government, finance, healthcare, and
retail. Watson can undoubtedly obtain more information than
the average human being; however, it does not yet have the
intelligence of a human being. At this point it can only serve

International Business Machines Corporation (2014)

Salary.com salary wizard- do you know what you're
worth? [photograph]. Retrieved from
http://swz.salary.com/SalaryWizard/WarehouseWorker-Salary-Details.aspx

as a tool to the human population, but in the undetermined

future, Watson can develop artificial intelligence, causing him to be more suited to completely
take over all white collar jobs.
baxter. Baxter is an industrial robot who can be
taught how to do any simple industrial job; needless to say,
that is an industrial business' ideal employee (Grey, 2014).
Baxter costs $22,000 compared to the $29,000 average
factory worker's salary, that is not including the benefits
that typically come with the job. Baxter does not require

_RicardoTellez_ (2013, November 21) The Baxter robot

at Fraunhofer IPA learning to grasp [Photograph]
Retrieved from
https://www.flickr.com/photos/66489494

healthcare, social security, a 401k, disability, a pension,

nor does he require time off ; bonuses are also not an issue for Baxter, making it approximately
$23,000 cheaper than the average ware house worker. That is more than enough to make
employers prefer using robotics more than humans.

ROBOTICS: THE END OF EMPLOYMENT

development of robotic therapist. USC's Institute for Creative Technologies otherwise

known as ICT, started the SimSensei project which consists of the development of a virtual
therapist named Elie (Garber, 2014). Funded by DARPA, ICT created an avatar that can interact
with patients in an understanding way . Elie records verbal answers and non-verbal cues to help
diagnose mental illnesses. It is only a matter of time until this technology will be released;
although it may not be able to replace therapists and psychiatrists right away; it may develop
into an issue in the future, due to constant misdiagnoses of mental illnesses. Louis-Philippe
Morency, a research assistant professor at USC's Institute for Creative Technologies, states
[referring to Elie] (Garber,2014), "She doesn't have judgment directly. So people love talking to
her.... they're more themselves. They're really expressing and showing something that usually if
you know that people are around youor as an interviewerthey think, 'Oh, I'm going to be
careful.' But with Elie, they're more themselves." These positive reviews can lead to the mass use
of robotic therapists and a decline in human therapists.
conclusion. The mass employment of robots is inevitable. A study by Stuart Elliot, an
analyst at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, indicates that
technology could replace workers for 80 percent of current jobs in two decades (Collin, 2014). In
the book Average is Over, Professor Tyler Cowen also predicts a labor market, barren of
middle-skill, middle-wage jobs, where 80 percent or more citizens will be unable to prosper
(Collin, 2014). Joseph Stubblebine stated, "Some jobs will continue to require human workers
due to the need for social interaction, creativity, and a high skill level. Some of the professions
least likely to become automated include recreational therapy, audiology, occupational therapy,
emergency management directing and various types of social work" (Stubblebine, 2014).
Contrary to his belief, there are developments of intelligent and seemingly sympathetic robotic

ROBOTICS: THE END OF EMPLOYMENT

technology for example: Watson, learns and is interactive; Elie has been proven to be useful
specifically for therapy; any high skill level form of work can be programmed or taught to a
robot.

References

ROBOTICS: THE END OF EMPLOYMENT

_RicardoTellez_ (2013, November 21) The Baxter robot at Fraunhofer IPA learning to grasp
[Photograph] Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/66489494

Collin. L. (2014, April 16) Study indicates robots could replace 80% of jobs Retrieved from
http://robohub.org/study-indicates-robots-could-replace-80-of-jobs/
Diep. F. (2013, March 29) Kinect-Powered virtual therapist tracks your body language to help
diagnose you Retrieved from http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-03/avatartherapist-tracks-your-every-move-help-makediagnosis?dom=PSC&loc=recent&lnk=1&con=read-full-story
Garber, M. (2014, May 23) Would you want therapy from a computerized psychologist?
Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/05/would-you-wanttherapy-from-a-computerized-psychologist/371552/

Grey, C.G.P (2014, Aug 13) Humans need not apply [video]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Pq-S557XQU

International Business Machines Corporation (2014) Salary.com salary wizard- do you know
what you're worth? [photograph]. Retrieved from
http://swz.salary.com/SalaryWizard/Warehouse-Worker-SalaryDetails.aspx?hdcbxbonuse=off&isshowpiechart=true&isshowjobchart=false&isshowsalar
ydetailcharts=false&isshownextsteps=false&isshowcompanyfct=false&isshowaboutyou=
false
Jurvetson, S. (2012,November 15) Driving the Google Self-Driving Car [Photograph].
Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/8190954243

ROBOTICS: THE END OF EMPLOYMENT

Kelly, K. (2012, December 24). Better than human: why robots will and must take our jobs
Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/2012/12/ff-robots-will-take-our-jobs/all/
Stubblebine, J. (2014, May 16) New study gives odds that jobs will be replaced by robots
http://www.beyond.com/articles/new-study-gives-odds-that-jobs-will-be-replaced-14860article.html
Wohlsen, M. (2014, August 8). When robots take all the work, whatll be left for us to do?
Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/2014/08/when-robots-take-all-the-work-whatll-beleft-for-us-to-do/