When new technology is introduced, it often causes many people to fear that it will “steal” jobs, and these fears do appear to have some basis. A recent report released by Brookings Institution predicts that up to 25% of US jobs are at risk of being lost to machines(1). As computers and artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly advance and integrate into our society, it seems as though humans may soon become obsolete in the workplace and replaced with automated machines. Recent technological advancements include drones that can deliver packages, cars that can drive themselves, and self-checkouts at stores. All of these new technologies have the potential to possibly eliminate the need for humans in their related fields, and there’s no shortage of fear-mongers preaching about the dangers of a machine take-over in the workplace. But is this fear of automated machines taking over human jobs rational?
Images of some recent “job-stealing” technologies
The reality is that many humans will be replaced by machine-labor and many jobs will disappear, but in the process, many new jobs will be created as we’ve seen time and time again throughout history. For example, in the 18th and 19th centuries, factories began appearing throughout the newly industrializing world, and suddenly, skilled craftsmen who spent their lives perfecting how to create an item by hand were replaced by low-skill factory workers who used machines to make the same items but in a fraction of the time and with ease. This change eliminated many jobs but it also created many new jobs, causing the amount of total jobs available as well as mankind’s overall well-being to both increase in the long-run after a period of adjustment(2).
Work before industrialization vs. after industrialization
Even in more recent times, as jobs such as switchboard operators and typists disappeared(3) because of computers, many new jobs involving computers have appeared such as coders, graphic designers, and software engineers. The top ten most in demand jobs in 2010 didn’t even exist just six years earlier in 2004, and according to Alexis Ringwald (a Technology Pioneer of the World Economic Forum), “65% of today’s school kids will end up doing jobs that haven’t even been invented yet”(4). So while new technology will undoubtedly eliminate many jobs, this shouldn’t be feared but should instead be seen as a natural cycle of societal development. As some jobs become obsolete, more new jobs become available and humankind as a whole benefits, as can be seen all throughout history.
Recently created jobs
Even as technology advances toward AI and automation, there will always be a need for human labor, it will just be different. In fact, occupations that have a high level of automation tend to grow faster than those that don’t(5), meaning that automation often causes the amount of jobs available to increase, not decrease. So you shouldn’t fear technology and its increasing implementation into the workforce. This isn’t the first time technology has changed work and it won’t be the last. You can’t stop technology from advancing. All you can do is prepare for the future and learn to adapt.
Sources:
1 Mark Muro, Robert Maxim, and Jacob Whiton, “Automation and Artificial Intelligence: How Machines Are Affecting People and Places,” Brookings (Brookings, November 25, 2019), https://www.brookings.edu/research/automation-and-artificial-intelligence-how-machines-affect-people-and-places/.
2 Moshe Vardi, “What the Industrial Revolution Really Tells Us about the Future of Automation and Work,” The Conversation, September 1, 2017, https://theconversation.com/what-the-industrial-revolution-really-tells-us-about-the-future-of-automation-and-work-82051.
3 Laura McCamy, “8 Jobs from 50 Years Ago That Are Obsolete,” Business Insider (Business Insider, May 12, 2019), https://www.businessinsider.com/jobs-that-are-obsolete-2019-5.
4 Alexis Ringwald, “3 Ways to Fix Our Broken Training System,” World Economic Forum, January 21, 2015, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/01/three-ways-to-fix-our-broken-training-system/?utm_content=buffer034be.
5 James Bessen, “The Automation Paradox,” The Atlantic (Atlantic Media Company, January 19, 2016), https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/01/automation-paradox/424437/.
Hi Dakota,
This was a really fascinating topic to choose for your blog, and it was quite the interesting read. I think that you raised a conclusion that not enough people truly consider when it comes to technological advancement in the workplace. While conservatives argue that technology steals jobs and therefore shouldn’t be invested in, and the left wants to increase aid to the poor for when their jobs are replaced, what both sides need to realize is that jobs are actually created when technology advances. Economies have changed numerous times throughout the long history of every nation and empire, including in the United States and in Europe during the Industrial Revolution. The development of capitalism, wage based labor, factories, and unskilled labor were massive changes, but they wound up modernizing society. When we invest in self-driving cars, delivery drones, and self check-out machines, we need new jobs to develop, repair, and upkeep these forms of technology, as you mentioned. Change is always scary, but as history shows us, it isn’t always a bad thing.
Great work!
Justin M.