Introduction
The introduction of technological developments and innovative achievements in various spheres of life is a common and natural phenomenon today. Particular attention is paid to the field of robotics as an area designed to facilitate many tasks and routine activities that people perform. However, with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) machines, humanity has faced a serious problem. Many duties performed by people have become feasible for robots, which, in turn, poses a threat to the employment market. Different professions may become unclaimed for numerous reasons – the absence of the need to pay for machines, a decrease in errors caused by the human factor, the acceleration of production processes, and other advantages. Therefore, robotization, as a modern trend, should be controlled and restrained to prevent a massive transition to the use of AI and the replacement of human professions with machine labor.
Robot Labor vs. Human Labor
The problem of the possible rejection of human labor in a number of jobs is complicated by the fact that the field of robotics does not stand still and is constantly being improved. According to Ward-Bailey, “47 percent of jobs in the United States are susceptible to automation within the next 20 years as computers and robots become more sophisticated.” Such a prospect is alarming since representatives of many professions may be unemployed. This process is currently observed and manifests itself in everyday life. For instance, the services of professional translators are becoming less needed due to the artificial intelligence algorithms promoted by Google, the corporation that is constantly improving its digital translator to offer advanced options to users (Drum). In such conditions, when machines are able to perform people’s tasks, there is no need to hire personnel because employers can save money and use the labor of robotic systems.
At the same time, in many industries, full robotization is hardly possible due to the lack of the necessary analysis and creativity functions in AI programs. This applies not only to the field of art but also to other areas where human participation is irreplaceable. For instance, today, in the business environment, AI tools are often utilized as tools aimed to simplify the decision-making process but not monopolizing it completely (Wilson and Daugherty 119). In such conditions, full robotization looks unlikely, and machines are viewed as auxiliary mechanisms but not a complete substitute for human labor. However, with constantly evolving technologies, AI algorithms can develop to calculate the most difficult steps and propose optimal solutions based on problem-solving and harm-reduction strategies. People have learned to benefit from machine labor, and the process of finding new optimization solutions is ongoing. Robots are applied to perform routine and dangerous tasks that are more logical and safer to entrust to machines than to ordinary employees (Czarniawska and Joerges 93). As a result, despite the lack of full market capture, AI-assisted mechanisms have high prospects of replacing a significant proportion of human jobs.
Reasons for Global Robotization
In conditions of market competition, constantly growing consumer needs, and other features of the market economy, robotization is seen as a natural movement towards innovation. In addition to the aforementioned decision-making capabilities, Wilson and Daugherty cite additional aspects of performance, which may be improved through the implementation of AI algorithms – flexibility, speed, scale, and personalization (121). For many businesses, sales, marketing, and other tasks, the involvement of a live employee is not a prerequisite to establishing the process of interaction with the target audience and maintaining a high level of sales. The authors provide an example of chatbots that are applied on many online platforms to help consumers by answering questions and assisting in finding the information (Wilson and Daugherty 123). Moreover, in a digital environment, robots are capable of performing many other useful tasks by recognizing security threats, analyzing statistics, and carrion out many other useful procedures. Since the Internet space has become one of the main platforms for doing business and communication, such prospects confirm the threat of the loss of jobs by people.
Given digitalization as a global trend, the prospect of replacing at least part of human jobs with robots is a real perspective. One of the analysts with a professional background in Google and Microsoft predicts that in the next ten years, about 50% of jobs will be replaced by machines powered by AI (Drum). Capitalizing on profits by lowering labor costs is one of the main reasons employers around the world can pursue. Thus, based on the current outcomes, the threat to the employment market is real, and many people may be unemployed.
Potential Solutions to the Problem
Today, AI mechanisms have closely entered many social spheres and have become an integral part of life. However, to prevent a global unemployment crisis and eliminate the issue of replacing human jobs with robots, relevant initiatives should be promoted. According to Popkova and Zmiyak’s forecasts, robots will not occupy a large percentage of the labor market due to training challenges and the need to constantly monitor their operation, which also requires costs (138). However, despite these difficulties, employers can opt for machine functions due to the minimization of costs and the desire to reduce the rate of human errors. To avoid a crisis, one of the possible solutions is to combine employee potential with machine algorithms to improve the productivity of tasks performed (Czarniawska and Joerges 85). This step is a reasonable approach to prevent robots from completely replacing human jobs and, at the same time, optimize the workforce.
Another solution implies taking restriction measures on the introduction of robots into the workflow at the legislative level. As the most influential members of the financial market, capital owners can have wide powers and the ability to leverage AI in business (Drum). Therefore, to exclude the threat of job replacement, the governments of different countries need to control the process of robotization and designate the major limitations as factors that will not allow harm to the employment market. Such an initiative is ethically correct and relevant in the context of a massive transition to machine types of work. Thus, at the legal level, control over the introduction of robots is a reasoned and thoughtful step to protect the world from the crisis.
Conclusion
One of the main dangers of global robotization is the replacement of human jobs with machine resources and AI-powered mechanisms. Analysts’ research and forecasts confirm the risks that such a trend carries with the employment market. The productive combination of human and AI resources and the adoption of appropriate legal acts that restrain the uncontrolled commissioning of robots are potentially effective solutions to prevent the growing threat.
Works Cited
Czarniawska, Barbara, and Bernward Joerges. Robotization of Work?: Answers from Popular Culture, Media and Social Sciences. Edward Elgar Publishing, 2020.
Drum, Kevin. “You Will Lose Your Job to a Robot – And Sooner than You Think.” Mother Jones, 2017, Web.
Popkova, E. G., & Zmiyak, K. V. (2019). “Priorities of Training of Digital Personnel for Industry 4.0: Social Competencies vs Technical Competencies.” On the Horizon, vol. 27, no. 3/4, pp. 138-144.
Ward-Bailey, Jeff. “If Robots Replace Half of US Workers, What Role Will Humans Play?” Christian Science Monitor, 2015, Web.
Wilson, H. James, and Paul R. Daugherty. “Collaborative Intelligence: Humans and AI Are Joining Forces.” Harvard Business Review, vol. 96, no. 4, 2018, pp. 114-123.