The threat of automation and its impact on jobs in the future

Research published by Oxford University in 2016 stated that in the UK there is a 77 per cent probability of 1.3 million administrative and operative roles being automated. This means teachers, police and journalists jobs are open to being automated (Miletic, 2017).

The article Will automation become the next job killer? stated that research has found that 5 per cent of US occupations are completely automated, while 60 per cent of occupations have around a third of their activities automated. This alone shows how prevalent automation has become in our lives. 

A study conducted by McKinsey Globnal Institute says that robots and other forms of automation will dramatically impact at least half of our jobs by as early as 2035 (Oppenheimer, 2017). The reason that automation is has become so popular is explored in the article The robots are coming. Should we start worrying about them taking our jobs? Tedious tasks that come with some jobs are performed by some form of automation. People in the workplace now work alongside robots to increase productivity and its claimed that countries that embrace automation will become more prosperous. Can this be a form of competitive advantage for firms? The answer to this is simply YES.

The most relevant form of automation that can be found in almost every household are our smart phones. The iPhone has a function that calls upon AI technology known as Siri to perform tasks such as browsing the web, checking the weather in our local area and even perform the simple tasks of making a call. This example shows just how integrated our lives are with automation and outlines the convenience of having such technology at our disposal.

A few responses to the threat of automation has been discussed in the article How we can prepare for robots taking our jobs. Some suggestions that have been made in this article are the implemention of a Universal Basic Income, some government job guarantees and even robot taxes!

Kha Pham.

References:

Miletic, B. (2017). Will automation become the next job killer? Available at: https://pacetoday.com.au/will-automation-become-next-job-killer/

Oppenheimer, A. (2017). The robots are coming. Shjould we start worrying about them taking our jobs? Available at: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/andres-oppenheimer/article149979307.html

Costa, P, N. (2017). How we can prepare for robots taking our jobs. Available at: https://www.businessinsider.com.au/policy-responses-to-automation-and-robots-taking-jobs-2017-4?r=US&IR=T