The combination of engineering and computer science has aided people in developing the field of robotics. This science segment deals with the design and manufacturing of robots – mechanical devices of different forms and sizes that can assist people in performing tasks (Moody, 2018). Although the development of helpful devices is not a new engineering area, modern robotics is focused on creating machines that can perform with minimal human oversight (Prakash, 2018). The field of robotics presents many challenges in politics, economics, and social spheres, but it offers a great opportunity to help people improve society.
Robots are designed to resolve several problems related to humans’ safety and physical abilities. First, robotics is concerned with people working in dangerous and labor-intensive environments (Marinoudi et al., 2019). For example, people spending much time underground or in radioactive zones are exposed to harmful chemicals and threats to physical health. Similarly, specialists in bomb detection and deactivation endanger their lives regularly. Apart from life preservation, robotics solves another problem – people’s limited abilities (Prakash, 2018). For instance, as humans’ underwater diving abilities are limited, robots may be designed to replace people on missions that require more time for completion. Thus, robots can be utilized in medicine, agriculture, manufacturing, storage, delivery, and more.
As robots become integrated with humans, the political sphere continues to adapt to this change. Introducing robots and related technology into geopolitics has granted countries new opportunities to defend themselves, which could be interpreted as a positive change (Prakash, 2018). As fewer humans are involved, robots become responsible for security. In contrast, the fear of automation – replacing human workers with machines – has negatively impacted political stability among people whose work is at risk (Prakash, 2018). Robotics has raised political tensions and people’s views of politicians supporting and opposing new technology.
The social impact of robotics lies in the problems that robots are designed to solve. One of the positive changes is the ability of people to focus on tasks that cannot be automated and enjoy more free time or more creative and challenging problems. In agriculture, this shift is especially noticeable, as much of the labor-intensive work is already automated, and workers may have more time to perform less physically demanding tasks (Marinoudi et al., 2019). However, automation also leads to some jobs becoming obsolete or decreasing the number of available vacancies, leading to higher unemployment and civil unrest (Moody, 2018). People whose jobs are automated may feel discouraged and be unable to find another job, which lowers the quality of life and exacerbates inequality.
The social and political problems and changes are also reflected in economic effects. On the one hand, robotics significantly increases the economic growth of businesses and ventures, streamlining manufacturing processes (Marinoudi et al., 2019). On the other hand, the level of unemployment and the need to re-educate workers to operate robots requires additional funding and lowers people’s purchasing ability, destabilizing the economy (Prakash, 2018). A negative economic impact is possible if the country does not account for automation when reviewing labor laws and initiatives.
The growing field of robotics has positive and negative impacts on people, businesses, and countries, but its potential is greater than the risks associated with it. Robots have already simplified the lives of many people, and their assistance protects lives and allows humans to focus on other tasks that do not endanger their health. If human rights are protected, robots can become a valuable addition to the workforce in the future.
References
Marinoudi, V., Sørensen, C. G., Pearson, S., & Bochtis, D. (2019). Robotics and labour in agriculture. A context consideration. Biosystems Engineering, 184, 111-121.
Moody, K. (2018). High tech, low growth: Robots and the future of work. Historical Materialism, 26(4), 3-34.
Prakash, A. (2018). Robotics & geopolitics: Automation could affect U.S. jobs and politics. Robotics Business Review. Web.