Would you like to never work again? For decades, automation has been doing a lot of our work for us. From the ‘first’ through the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ our working life has been adapting. Instead of the horse and cart of yesteryear you can now travel in a fully self-driving automobile.
Replacing people with machines is called robotics. Will a robot be doing your job in a few years? And will your life be a permanent vacation?
We are at the dawn of the robot age. People are divided between apprehension and fascination. Are we going to fight to keep our work out of mechanical hands? Or will we embrace the endless possibilities of robotics
Even though this demands a new way of thinking.
Collaborative robots, or ‘cobots‘, can take on our heavy, hazardous and repetitive tasks. This frees up time for us to do more creative work. Robotization is set to increase in the coming years.
While Europe is only just starting to embrace the idea, China is the world leader with over 340,000 robots. Here robots are seen as equals. They help relieve loneliness among the elderly for example and make children smarter through play.
Innovation is advancing rapidly. Research predicts that in 2022 42% of all work will be performed by machines. Robots learn to analyze data input from humans. They can discover links far quicker than we can. They work precisely and are tireless. One example of the latest innovations is nanobots. Microscopic robots that travel through the bloodstream to detect and destroy cancer cells.
All these processes need to be directed and monitored by humans. So there will always be work for people to do, but the way we work will radically change. The question is whether everyone in the world will benefit, or only the elite who own these robots… What do you think? Share your ideas via #neverworkagainthankstorobotics
