Automation: A Burgeoning Job Trend That May Enhance Work Quality

• Author: Jacob Greene
• Posted: 2024-07-25

Automation: A Burgeoning Job Trend That May Enhance Work Quality

For many years, we heard about the many benefits automation would bring. For the average consumer, automated financial management, signups, and other processes that would have required interaction during business hours makes many things possible that weren't possible before. However, results are more mixed for the job market. It's undeniable that automation saves workers plenty of time, and as a result, saves companies money. While many are skeptical about automation's potential to replace many jobs, some new possibilities are emerging that are a win-win for corporations and people.

What Are the Cons for Workers?

Of course, automation has one major con for workers that has been feared for decades: repetitive jobs, such as janitorial work, will likely become fully automated. In some cases, corporations' responses to aggressive increases in the minimum wage was to simply invest in automation. This is why many stores in huge metropolitan areas have only one employee.

This puts disabled employees at an even larger disadvantage in the job market. However, automation also has some promising features that don't paint such a dystopian future for the job market of America. Here are some trends beginning to emerge where automation is or will soon be helping the average working American.

How Will Workers Benefit from Automation?

First and foremost, while menial jobs will likely be driven away, this will allow for jobs to be more meaningful to most people. The closest example to this is the introduction of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) to the market. Though these were initially condemned as "job-stealing devices" by many, the truth is that they actually enabled bank tellers to engage in more meaningful work than simply handing out cash all day.

Humanity itself is rapidly becoming a commodity in the workplace, in a bizarre turn of events. For example, many components are actually measuring people's "EQ", which essentially is their emotional intelligence and potential for empathy. One deep concern about the excessive use of automation is that a lack of humanity may cause a lack of business. Companies have gone full-circle and now are looking for people who can simply be decent humans to work with robots who are capable of just about everything besides true empathy.

What Skills Are Now Falling into Demand?

In the dawn of automation, two skills in particular are coming into demand, and fast. First "deep learning specialists" are being sought after more than ever before. This demanding occupation is usually performed by someone with training in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence. These people work on Machine Learning (ML) to help perfect automation systems. In some cases, machines can "observe" how a certain task is performed by "watching" people do it and mimic the behavior.

Another skill coming into demand is adaptability. With a much lower barrier to entry than becoming a "deep learning specialist", this will be required as tech amps up changes in the job market. People will need to become comfortable literally working with robots. Also known as the so-called "blended workforce", this mixture is largely untested. However, it also will make middle management obsolete and unnecessary.

Is This a Mixed Bag?

In short, yes. Automation brings about exciting changes, but the people most excited about them are the corporations who will no longer need to pay much of their workforce. It's an excellent step forward to have machines do the menial work while people do work that actually matters to them.

On the other hand, many people worry that there won't be any jobs left for them. Automation demands that people adjust quickly to changing situations, learn new skills fast, and put other pressures on employees that were previously unheard of. The largest harm potential lies in the extremely high unemployment potential. Some people may not be able to perform all of these tasks, and though they'd qualify for regular service jobs, these jobs may not be available. Whether this pans out to become a true problem or not remains to be seen, as this trend is still emerging.

Should You Be Worried?

Remember, this is cutting-edge technology. Automation is not a new concept, and each time a new iteration is released, a group of people have always claimed it will be the death of the American economy. While paying attention to emerging trends is important, it's unlikely that those currently employed will lose their jobs anytime soon.