What can we expect from the automated age?

Whilst being strapped into this pretty scary rollercoaster with no means of escape- 2020 has been a pretty disastrous year, right? Well I'm a firm believer in looking at the positives in a time of turmoil and maybe this year really isn't that bad after all (just hear me out).

Technology has seen vast improvements in recent years, which most of you that read my blog posts know, because it's all I tend to ramble on about. But with so much new technology as part of the information age, the industry started to become stagnated, as we simply couldn't keep up. The rate in which we have seen noticeable life-changing technological changes has slowed to the point where even the next iPhone release isn't a big deal.

As we start to spend more time in our homes, technology which has long been at our disposal has finally made a significant climb. This can be seen with the huge uptake in online conference calling (namely via Zoom), the implementation of crowd noise in stadiums, online learning platforms and work management systems to name a few.

But why has lockdown boosted this tech take off? 

Simply put, this period has been non-negotiable; every industry has had to make the change to more digitalised thinking. The world is finally coming to terms with the power that technology possesses to drive traffic to media channels, influence buyer intentions and create unique experiences for consumers.

Automation has long been touted as the big revolution that will change the scope of employment and how businesses are run. In Asia, robotics have become commonplace for many years by combining Artificial Intelligence (AI) with robotics to enhance customer experience in restaurants, used for factory work and to deliver goods (basically a robot version of Deliveroo). This is something that will soon take the world by storm, with the virus proving an important catalyst in the process.

A Futurism report highlights how automation could dramatically impact certain countries, sharing that 69% of jobs in India are at risk of automation and an incredible 85% at risk in Ethiopia. So this begs the question- what does the future of employment really look like?

With the dramatic rise in robotics and AI alongside a growing need to control the recurrence of future pandemics- automation couldn't have come at a better time. 

One hospital ward in China is already fully staffed by robots; negating the risk of the virus spreading and helping to maintain cleanliness. But this is all well and good, but the argument could be made that unemployment rates could rocket, as jobs are increasingly performed by automated machines (already seen in some mass-product producing factories).

However, as some industries will see a decrease in employment opportunities, others will flourish. As we move deeper and deeper into this digital frenzy, we will find that our employability skills will need to be focussed more towards web navigation, coding, robot engineering (yes, you heard me correctly) and web site design.

As the push towards an automated age rapidly approaches, we receive more hints at what employment and society will look like in the future. With an 8% projected increase in automated work since 2017 (up to 17% in 2020) we are definitely in the driving seat towards a revolution.

Argh! I knew I'd forget about flying cars.