The robots are coming.
Many people, many workers, will be replaced by a robot. Soon. Within 10 years. Sorry about that. This is not new news. I was already reading about it in the 1950's, in the classic novels of science fiction. And the fictional Dick Tracy wrist radio of the 1940's came to reality in wrist watches and cell phones. Science fiction has become science fact. And robots will replace humans. Why? Because a $20,000 robot is cheaper than paying a human an median annual wage (median net wage per working individual in the US in 2015 was $28,031). Plus, robots don't need health care, pensions, vacations, don't take sick days, breaks, or slack off on their work.
Yes, the robots are coming. In fact, they are already here. Car manufacturers have been using robots for decades, agriculture uses robots for crop harvesting, the construction industry uses robots for welding and floor finishing. Many industries are already using robots. The medical profession even uses robots for surgery! And your ATM is a machine. And I often check out at my local supermarket using their express checkout machine; non human, it even talks me through the checkout process. Amazon wants to deliver your purchases by drone and self-driving cars are likely to make you a passenger in your own car.
And many retail businesses will soon be replacing hourly workers with robots who do those jobs. Lowe's, the parent company of Orchard Supply Hardware, is testing robots - called Oshbots - that can help you with equipping your DIY home improvement projects.
Yes, robots are here and here to stay. Welcome to the Robot Revolution.
According to CNN Money:
By 2020, "nearly half of all U.S. jobs will be at high risk of being lost to computers, according to experts at Oxford University, with an additional 20% facing medium risk.
Could you lose your job to robots?
Here are some examples of jobs most at risk: Administrative staff, manual workers, data processing jobs. Bank of America estimated that there's a 90% risk or more of the following being replaced: Tour guides, bakers, butchers, pharmacy technicians, insurance sales agents, retail salespersons, tax collectors, telemarketers, accountants and clerks.
At the other end of the spectrum are professions such as physicians, psychologists and clergy. Jobs that require empathy, intuition and lots of social interaction are least likely to be threatened by technology. They include mental healthcare workers, social workers, police and detectives, teachers and artists."
The robots are coming. Welcome to the Robot Revolution. Good thing I'm too old to worry about it. Good thing I'm a dinosaur and will be extinct before the robots get here ... and take over :)
