The Pandemic Contributed to The Rise of Automation: Is Automation Our Enemy or Our Friend?
Two years into the COVID-19 crisis, it severely disrupted and caused irreparable damage to millions worldwide. Whether by presenting unprecedented challenges to public health, triggering mass mental health decline, creating financial and economic burdens, or social disruption, COVID-19 has forever impacted the function of our society.
Due to the pandemic’s longevity, we as a society have had to find ways to adjust to our new normal, such as implementing social distancing, experimenting with remote learning, and controversially adopting automation. Automation refers to using human-developed machines, such as computers and robots, to mimic human tasks by performing and handling programmed commands.
The results of automation are successfully capable of operating without human intervention. Automation already expanded into the U.S workplace before the pandemic, even estimating the potential to displace 132,000 Black workers in the U.S. by 2030. However, since the pandemic outbreak, businesses and companies have fully spearheaded the 4th industrial revolution to accelerate the addition of artificial robotic technology across all industries.
The induction of automation in the U.S workforce has been met with both enthusiasm and resistance. An article by Forbes summarizes it best by saying, “Automation captures two sides of a single coin: promise and threat.” Automation is proven successful in providing safety and security by minimizing unnecessary human contact, lowering operating costs, and increasing productivity, which is beneficial during a pandemic.
However, the most prominent opposition to automation is the reality of workers who are replaced by machines. The Covid-19 pandemic has already significantly harmed labor markets globally. As stated in the World Economic Forum report, automation is creating a ‘double-disruption’ scenario for workers. Millions of workers have lost their jobs due to business shutdowns and deteriorating health. The adoption of automation technologies could further contribute to unemployment, and it is likely to change the way we work in the long term.
The jobs at a higher risk of being automated require repetitive tasks. During COVID-19, automation was the only answer for businesses that lacked employees, such as Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken. Chuck Coope, the CEO of the restaurant, installed Hi Auto, an automated voice system in many locations to take orders. Hi Auto takes orders and works with the headset system, and employees can update Hi Auto when something is out or back in stock. Voice recognition improves order accuracy and customer service. Better than that, now the staff can work faster, and Hi Auto will never get sick from COVID-19.
Again, people whose jobs only include repetitive tasks are in danger of being substituted by machines, but those who incorporate various tasks can benefit from automation by making their jobs easier and quicker.
Automation can increase productivity and efficient use of time and material. Although automation can negatively affect a part of the workforce in the future, we do not have to see it as only an enemy. It is also crucial to recognize that we can work alongside it and save valuable time for the tasks that truly matter.
