Automation is one of those words that seems to hush an employee break room full of people quicker than anything else. The concept of automation has developed a negative connotation among employees, especially in a few specific industries, including manufacturing. In the past, automation meant the elimination of low-level jobs. Today, companies are making an effort to automate low-level tasks and simultaneously train employees to takeover more profitable and higher-skilled tasks. So, is automation really taking jobs away from humans?
Automation Is Creating New Jobs
It may not look this way on the surface because if you are an employee whose job is being taken over by a machine, all you see is the job that you lost. The new machines, though, require operators. These are several tests being conducted at food establishments, for example. At a hamburger restaurant, there is a machine that is supposed to make several burgers an hour, but the machine requires operators. The food still has to be prepped, and cleanup is still necessary. In many ways, automation is simply shifting responsibilities while making humans smarter and better skilled.
Some Industries Will Lose Jobs
Some industries will suffer job losses. In the farming sector, farmers are at the mercy of volatile raw material prices as well as the potential for injuries to their workers. There have also been issues that have affected the cost of labor, so industrious individuals have been working on machines that automate repetitive tasks. Believe it or not, they also have human safety in mind, too. This means that those who are in danger of losing their jobs to machines should start learning how to operate them or gain higher-level skills.
So, Is Automation Good or Bad?
When it comes to automation, your glass can be half full or half empty. If your glass is half empty, you have to examine your circumstances. If you are someone who can retire, then maybe that is the best route to take if your job is being replaced with automation. If you are far from retirement, you might consider picking up new skills. Machinery automation has had positive effects in the industrial manufacturing industry.
It is an interesting time to be alive. In the past, the Industrial Revolution caused some panic among low-skilled workers, but people adapted to their new circumstances. Technology and software are absolutely bringing about a new revolution, but only time will tell how things will actually work out.
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