Twenty-five years ago, my teachers used to say to me, “You better get these grades up, go to college and get a good job. One day, robots are going to come after your jobs.” Me and my peers would just laugh. We’re not laughing now.
Most Americans aren’t laughing either. There’s a poll out saying most Americans believe robots will take jobs in the near future, just not their jobs. According to?The Pew Research Center backed survey, 65% think robots and computers will eventually take human jobs. But 89% of those same people thought their own jobs were secure from this threat. Those in government, education, and non-profit are less likely to believe robots will take their jobs. Those in corporate America and small business are most likely to believe their robots will take their jobs. Those under 50 and with higher educations are less concerned with the potential robot takeover. Back in 2013, an Oxford University study in England concluded 47% of jobs are at risk of being taken over by robots and computers. The next year, a Pew study said continued advancement in computer technology and robotics will have have big implications on the workplace and society. The survey proved what I knew all along.
Americans are more concerned with poor management and jobs being shipped overseas then they are with any robot. But the concept isn’t so far fetched. We know about self-driving cars.We know about robots running hotels. We know about computers that can think better than humans. And if I were in the medical or non-profit field, I wouldn’t get too comfortable. Robots and computers are conducting surgeries. They’re even serving meals, making beds, and delivering medicine at hospitals. We’ve even seen footage of robots doing military training. What used to be a plot for movies and sitcoms quickly becomes today’s reality, almost as real as American jobs being shipped to China and Mexico. Do you still think your job is secure?