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The topic of automation is one that comes up a lot in discussions about the industry and the workplace. While automation has been used to varying degrees across different sectors and industries, you will most likely find at least some degree of automation in almost any work that you can think of.
From simple pieces of standard office software all the way to fully automated AI drones, there are many different examples of automation being used in the workplace, and the role that automation plays in all aspects of work and like only looks set to increase from now into the future.
Many people have expressed concern (often legitimate) about the effects of automation on society, particularly on the jobs market. As technology steadily advances, enabling more and more job roles to be carried out by machines, many fear that rates of unemployment will rise as a result.
However, the topic of automation is complex, and there are many benefits that automation can bring, not just to business owners but to the workforce, too. This article explores how automation may be able to help us solve problems rather than create new ones.
Saving Time
One of the main benefits of automating working processes is the reduction in the time taken to carry out working operations. For example, conveyors, such as those found on sites like fluentconveyors.com, can transport materials across factories much more quickly than human workers can, saving the time taken by workers to carry out these tasks.
Reducing Hazards
Automation can often increase the safety of workplaces. This is because the element of human error is mostly removed from the equation. When accidents do happen, for example with automated machines in factory assembly lines, it is more likely that machines will be damaged than human workers harmed.
How Can Automation Be Used Ethically?
Of course, reducing the time taken to carry out required working operations is not necessarily a good thing for the worker who is paid on an hourly basis. It may be the case that the economy and the way work is compensated will need to be altered in order to keep a healthy workforce. After all, the more people who lose their jobs to robots, the fewer people there will be to buy and use the products created by them.
If automation is used alongside, rather than instead of, human workers, we may be able to experience the best of both worlds and increase productivity without sacrificing jobs. This can happen by using human workers for tasks better suited to humans, such as communication and creativity. Instructing and programming automated machines, as well as monitoring them in case they need repairs, are likely to be carried out by humans for at least the foreseeable future.
If we collectively decide to use automation for the benefit of wider society, the robots may not replace us after all—rather they’ll work alongside us for improved results, safer workplaces, and reduced working hours.
