Robot at work in the future

Since the first century BC, man has been fascinated by the possibility of creating machines capable of simulating the human brain. In the modern era, the term artificial intelligence was coined in 1955 by John McCarthy. In 1956, McCarthy and other scientists organized the “Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence” conference. This event led to the creation of machine learning, deep learning, predictive analytics and, ultimately, prescriptive analytics. It has also given rise to an entirely new field of study, namely data science.

When we talk about Artificial Intelligence, we immediately think of cutting-edge technologies, of robots capable of understanding and deciding the actions to perform and of a futuristic world in which machines and men coexist. In reality, Artificial Intelligence and its use are much more real than you might imagine and are used today in various sectors of daily life. From ancient times to 1700, innovations were oriented at increasing production but these techniques always remained manual: they were produced in artisan workshops with manual labor. This was due to the fact that the prices of the new products on the market were still not accessible to everyone. Later, with the industrial revolution of the 17th century, the panorama changed radically: the mechanical loom controlled by the steam engine allowed for faster production, lower costs and less manpower.

In fact, it is undeniable that with progress today, robots and automation are becoming an increasingly important element of our daily lives.

The advent of robots has led to some unexpected announcements about the future of work. Could robots do everything humans can do? A recent study found that between 1990 and 2007, up to 670,000 jobs were lost to robots in the United States. And that number is expected to rise. A widely cited 2013 study found that nearly half of all jobs in the United States are at risk of being automated in the next twenty years. Occupations requiring repetitive and predictable tasks that were particularly high risk were the transportation, logistics, and administrative support sectors. Customer service representatives, for example, often do not require a high level of social or emotional intelligence to function. Many companies are already relying on artificial intelligence to answer frequently asked questions and provide customer support with chat bots or other devices. Important sectors are also those involving robots for domestic use and robots for entertainment and educational tasks. A field of cognitive robotics research that is becoming increasingly relevant concerns cybersecurity connected to these systems. The use of personal robots inside homes involves close contact with people. Plus, robots don't need health benefits, vacations, or even sleep.

But the debate over whether robots will take over all our jobs is far from settled. Many economists argue that automation will eventually create new jobs. After all, someone has to program the robots. Just think of trains which in 1850 were the most popular means of transport. But growth slowed in the early 1900s because the automobile arrived. Mechanic and repair jobs have increased even as railroad jobs have begun to disappear. And some companies say the same thing will happen when robots enter the market. It is difficult to imagine that robots could replicate human characteristics, such as empathy or compassion, needed in many jobs.

Even if robots don't completely take over our jobs, research shows that they will significantly alter daily workplace activities. This is especially a problem for lower-skilled workers who are unable to retrain for new jobs. They could be stuck with lower wages in a world with more robots, and that could make income inequality even worse. But one thing that is clear is that professional training is necessary if we hope to get along with friends like them in the workplace.