Will the Novel Coronavirus Replace Humans with Robots at Work?
As a pandemic takes hold of the world, a person could be forgiven if he had forgotten another threat to the way of life of humanity – the rise of robots at work.
The robots will replace many humans in their jobs for better or worse, experts claim, and the coronavirus pandemic is speeding the process.
Martin Ford, a futurist who wrote about the ways robots would be incorporated into the economy in the decades to come, says, "People usually say they want a human element to their interactions but Covid-19 has changed that."
" is going to change consumer preference and really open up new opportunities for automation."
Large and small businesses are increasing how they use robotics to improve social distancing and raising the number of workers who have to come to work physically. Robots are also used to fulfill tasks that workers can't do at home.
Walmart, the biggest retailer in America, uses robots to clean their floors.
In South Korea, robots have been used for temperature calculation and hand sanitizer distribution. With health experts warning some social distancing steps will need to be in place by 2021, the need for robot jobs could be higher.
Get in the Robot Cleaners
Companies producing items for cleaning and sanitizing have seen demand grow.
UVD Robots, Danish manufacturer of ultraviolet light-disinfection robots, delivered hundreds of its devices to Chinese and European hospitals.
These machines are also used more by groceries and restaurants which offer takeaway.
Experts suggest we would expect to see more use of this technology as more companies re-open-you may witness robots sweeping up your schools or offices.
The author of The Customer of the Future – Blake Morgan – states, "Customers now care more about their safety and the safety and health of workers."
"Moves towards automation can keep them all healthier and customers will reward companies that do this."
Limits are still in place. Ms. Morgan points out that automatic checkouts at grocery stores will minimize human encounters, but because many systems don't work well or break easily consumers ignore them and then go to human cashiers.
Maintaining Social Distancing
Food service is another field where robots are likely to be used progressively due to safety concerns. Fast-food chains such as McDonald's have also been checking the robots as cooks and servers.
Robots were already used in warehouses, including those run by Amazon and Walmart, to increase performance. The novel coronavirus outbreak – COVID-19 has both companies planning to expand the use of robots at work for sorting, shipping and packing.
It will decline the number of complaints from warehouse staff who, under the current circumstances, claim they cannot maintain social distance from their colleagues. But, it will bring some of them out of work according to technology experts.
If a company has invested in replacing a worker with robots at work, the company is unlikely to ever re-engage for that role. Robots are more costly to build and incorporate into industries but robots are usually cheaper than human employees once they are up and running.
The use of robots in the post Covid-19 environment also poses certain marketing advantages according to futurist Martin Ford.
"People will prefer to go to a place that has fewer workers and more machines because they feel they can lower overall risk," he added.
Can Humans Be Really Replaced?
What about service roles which entail an individual to give a lesson or guidance?
Artificial intelligence is being revolutionized that can replace tutors in schools, personal trainers and financial advisors.
Big tech businesses are increasing their use of artificial intelligence. Both Facebook and Google rely on AI to delete more objectionable posts as certain items cannot be checked from home by the human content moderators of the companies.
Robot sceptics had assumed that in those positions, humans should have an advantage. This could shift because lockdowns have made the concept of remote contact more natural for humans. The on-screen instructor or counselor doesn't need to be a real person, it just needs to think and behave like one.
A study from multinational consultancy McKinsey in 2017 estimated that a third of US employees will be replaced by automation and robots at work by 2030. But events such as pandemics will change all projections, but Experts claim it is always up to people to determine how they yearn the technology to be incorporated into the world.
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