Automation can deprive people of their livelihoods
Automation needs to serve the purpose of making our lives better. While small level innovation can make our daily lives better, innovation on a massive scale can lead to the mechanisation of entire sectors. We know that machines work more efficiently than humans that is a single machine can replace dozens of humans. Although automation has made its way into many businesses and sectors and has particularly influenced the manufacturing sector, the rate at which automation is taking place is alarming. A sudden spurt in technology can replace a huge number of routine jobs. The only jobs, which seem to be safe are ones that involve creativity and decision making, jobs which machines can’t do, jobs where the human element is unavoidable.
Suddenly, the arts, music and law seem like viable careers. But these kinds of jobs require a certain level of skill, to an extent - natural talent, and most importantly an education.
A lot of routine jobs that can be mechanised do not require a certain skill set, or a particular education. The percentage of routine jobs held by unskilled workers is significant. Automation can deprive these people of their livelihoods.
Even though the argument is frequently made that automation will create as many jobs as it destroys, considering the rate at which automation is happening that argument no longer holds true. When the scope for mechanising a function exists, the change is rapidly adapted and in a few years we could see industries bleeding workers due to automation. Workers who will find it hard to enter the workforce again without particular skills, experience or an education that they will find impossible to gain when their main source of income has been stripped away by machines. The playing field seems permanently rigged against their favour.
Automation has its pros and cons, and the convenience it provides is hard to ignore however the human cost must be taken into consideration. Ultimately if a better standard of living is what we all desire, we need to level the playing field before allowing machines to take over. From Ms Pratibha Bosco Senior officer based in Dubai