I’ve asked myself this question time and time again, and although I’m still not 100% on my feelings, I am swaying more to the side of “it’s inevitable, so let’s make the most of it….. but with caution.”
In my time at Voyager Software I’ve seen the positive impact automation/AI can have on a business, but also how it can do the opposite. In my eyes, it’s all about getting the balance right.
Recruitment is ultimately about people and relationships; something I feel can’t be replaced by technology and AI (Hanson Robotics – Sophia and Google Hire might worryingly disagree).
The replacement of people with robots or AI is nothing new and it’s only set to grow (as PwC predict in the article below), but this doesn’t need to be a bad thing if done in the right way. I believe that there is huge scope across today’s economical world and life in general, for technology to do the things a human shouldn’t need to or be exposed to.
To elaborate; the mundane, systematic tasks which sees a person staring emptily at a screen or systematically pressing a button or pulling a lever. I believe that when a person is constantly interacting with a piece of technology or machinery or anything that’s not part of the natural world, it is slowly but surely numbing the desire and need for human interaction. I’m not necessarily referring to anything physical, but a connection on a level that only living things can achieve.
I’ll cut to the chase – it’s obvious that advances in technology towards automation, AI and Robotics are inevitable, but there’s a real risk that we will become slaves to technology if we lose sight of who and what we are.
Here’s my takeaway
- Let’s take back control and put technology ‘to work’ for us
- Let’s use technology to claw back the most precious resource we have – TIME
- Time to engage on a human level
- Time to get outdoors and interact with the natural world
- Time to spend with our families and friends
- Time to spend with ourselves, rediscovering who we are
- So, next time you’re scrolling through Facebook whilst putting your children to bed, STOP! Turn off your phone, and cherish that moment right there; a moment which can never be replaced or replicated with any sort of technology (but don’t forget to set your Hive before you go to bed).
WE ARE the most unique and amazing creations/creatures (whichever side of the fence you sit on) that will ever exist on this planet, and no technology will ever replace that!
“Automation is set to impact UK jobs in three waves, with the biggest impact expected in the late 2020s to mid 2030s, according to new research by PwC. Up to 30% of UK jobs could be potentially impacted by automation by the early 2030s, but this will affect different types of workers and industries at different times.”
Source – https://www.govtechleaders.com/2018/02/07/economists-assess-the-impact-of-automation-on-employment/
Blog written by steve.smith@voyagersoftware.com