Robot Takeover!
Hello all, I am a student at the University of Florida and this podcast will describe the robotic takeover of our jobs. Since this is such a broad subject, I will be specifically focusing on a field we don’t often think of as being in danger of automation: computer engineers. In my experience, many computer science majors both here at the University of Florida and elsewhere think of themselves as being immune to this issue of automation. Not only is this completely not true, it’s ill-advised to blatantly ignore this issue we will all have to face in the coming years.
Every year, computer become more and more complex. New methods of computing are invented, faster supercomputers are built, and software continues to be improved upon. This trend has continued for only the past few decades, but it is already true that modern day word-processing applications -programs with relatively light processing load - fail to run on computers from only a few years ago. With this continuing trend, humans must carefully monitor computers so that we ourselves do not become obsolete.
Robotics today exist most often in industry as dumb machines, those which can only carry out a specific task given a very precise set of parameters. Humans still work alongside these machines because we have the ability to remain flexible. Currently, a robot or software program is not able to react to change the same way we can. The fear for the future is that software will soon have learning algorithms coded into it, so that this hurdle can be surpassed. Giving computers a reasoning process takes away one of the few advantages we have over them as working beings.
Today, computers carry out a task in two ways: either they have been specifically programmed to carry out a task, or they have learned to do it after watching it be done over and over again. The latter is possible through the aforementioned learning algorithms some software programs possess. One can present a problem to a computer, and after many attempts of trial and error the programs can find a way to solve the issue. This process is incredibly slow, and requires far too much valuable time. With the addition of reasoning, computers could be able to apply existing knowledge to new problems, thus solving them in much shorter times.
Now, let’s say humans do become obsolete. What would you do with your time? While constant relaxation might sound appealing to wage-earners now, boredom will quickly come to those without something to do. This is a major philosophical issue for the future: will humans be unfulfilled without the concept of work to keep us busy? We are raised and trained our entire lives in order to fend for ourselves in the work environment. Would we be able to stay fulfilled if that was taken away from us? It is for this reason that some argue the solution to automation is to simply stop technological innovation.
This podcast looks primarily towards the future, but that isn’t to say we can ignore this issue for now. Telemarketers can expect their jobs to be completely taken over by machines in the next decade or two. Unless we conjure up enough brand-new fields to employ all of those displaced people, there is no way that we can support our population without some sort of compromise. Whether it be Bill Gates’ proposed robot tax, or simply creating a work-free utopia for all of humanity, we simply need to arrive at a conclusion eventually.
