This book will examine the history of robotics and explicate what massive automation means for the present and future of labor in all its forms, from mills and factories to the white-collars offices of suburbia and more. While warnings of a robot world-takeover could seem dramatic, the truth is more mundane--robots have come to take our jobs. Winning in the Robotic Workplace: How to Prosper in the Automation Age will teach you the skills needed to reprogram the way you work in anticipation of this technological shift. Author John F. Wasik believes learning to thrive in the automation age can in fact humanize the workplace once again. In Winning in the Robotic Workplace: How to Prosper in the Automation Age, you will learn to emphasize the conceptualization and pursuit of creative ideas, a practice that most robots are unequipped to perform in a meaningful way. You will learn that the successful integration of automated elements with humans is the most effective business model moving forward, and that an eagerness to collaborate demonstrates a will to succeed.
This book will examine the history of robotics and explicate what massive automation means for the present and future of labor in all its forms, from mills and factories to the white-collars offices of suburbia and more. While warnings of a robot world-takeover could seem dramatic, the truth is more mundane—robots have come to take our jobs. Winning in the Robotic Workplace: How to Prosper in the Automation Age will teach you the skills needed to reprogram the way you work in anticipation of this technological shift. Author John F. Wasik believes learning to thrive in the automation age can in fact humanize the workplace once again. In Winning in the Robotic Workplace: How to Prosper in the Automation Age, you will learn to emphasize the conceptualization and pursuit of creative ideas, a practice that most robots are unequipped to perform in a meaningful way. You will learn that the successful integration of automated elements with humans is the most effective business model moving forward, and that an eagerness to collaborate demonstrates a will to succeed.
A New York Times bestselling author and tech columnist's counter-intuitive guide to staying relevant - and employable - in the machine age by becoming irreplaceably human. It's not a future scenario any more. We've been taught that to compete with automation and AI, we'll have to become more like the machines themselves, building up technical skills like coding. But, there's simply no way to keep up. What if all the advice is wrong? And what do we need to do instead to become futureproof? We tend to think of automation as a blue-collar phenomenon that will affect truck drivers, factory workers, and other people with repetitive manual jobs. But it's much, much broader than that. Lawyers are being automated out of existence. Last year, JPMorgan Chase built a piece of software called COIN, which uses machine learning to review complicated contracts and documents. It used to take the firm's lawyers more than 300,000 hours every year to review all of those documents. Now, it takes a few seconds, and requires just one human to run the program. Doctors are being automated out of existence, too. Last summer, a Chinese tech company built a deep learning algorithm that diagnosed brain cancer and other diseases faster and more accurately than a team of 15 top Chinese doctors. Kevin Roose has spent the past few years studying the question of how people, communities, and organisations adapt to periods of change, from the Industrial Revolution to the present. And the insight that is sweeping through Silicon Valley as we speak -- that in an age dominated by machines, it's human skills that really matter - is one of the more profound and counter-intuitive ideas he's discovered. It's the antidote to the doom-and-gloom worries many people feel when they think about AI and automation. And it's something everyone needs to hear. In nine accessible, prescriptive chapters, Roose distills what he has learned about how we will survive the future, that the way to become futureproof is to become incredibly, irreplaceably human.
Looking for ways to handle the transition to a digital economy Robots, artificial intelligence, and driverless cars are no longer things of the distant future. They are with us today and will become increasingly common in coming years, along with virtual reality and digital personal assistants. As these tools advance deeper into everyday use, they raise the question—how will they transform society, the economy, and politics? If companies need fewer workers due to automation and robotics, what happens to those who once held those jobs and don't have the skills for new jobs? And since many social benefits are delivered through jobs, how are people outside the workforce for a lengthy period of time going to earn a living and get health care and social benefits? Looking past today's headlines, political scientist and cultural observer Darrell M. West argues that society needs to rethink the concept of jobs, reconfigure the social contract, move toward a system of lifetime learning, and develop a new kind of politics that can deal with economic dislocations. With the U.S. governance system in shambles because of political polarization and hyper-partisanship, dealing creatively with the transition to a fully digital economy will vex political leaders and complicate the adoption of remedies that could ease the transition pain. It is imperative that we make major adjustments in how we think about work and the social contract in order to prevent society from spiraling out of control. This book presents a number of proposals to help people deal with the transition from an industrial to a digital economy. We must broaden the concept of employment to include volunteering and parenting and pay greater attention to the opportunities for leisure time. New forms of identity will be possible when the "job" no longer defines people's sense of personal meaning, and they engage in a broader range of activities. Workers will need help throughout their lifetimes to acquire new skills and develop new job capabilities. Political reforms will be necessary to reduce polarization and restore civility so there can be open and healthy debate about where responsibility lies for economic well-being. This book is an important contribution to a discussion about tomorrow—one that needs to take place today.
This book examines the importance of work in human well-being, addressing several related philosophical questions about work and arguing on the whole that meaningful work is central in human flourishing. Work impacts flourishing not only in developing and exercising human capabilities but also in instilling and reflecting virtues such as honor, pride, dignity, self-discipline and self-respect. Work also attaches to a sense of purposefulness and personal identity, and meaningful work can promote both personal autonomy and a sense of personal satisfaction that issues from making oneself useful. Further still, work bears a formative influence on character and intelligence and provides a primary avenue for exercising complex skills and garnering esteem and recognition from others. The author defends a pluralistic account of meaningful work, arguing that work can be meaningful in virtue of developing capabilities, supporting virtues, providing a purpose, or integrating elements of a worker's life. In light of the impact of meaningful work on living well, the author argues that well-ordered societies provide opportunities for meaningful work, that individuals would be well advised to pursue these opportunities, and that the philosophical view of value pluralism, which casts work as having no special significance in an individual's life, is false. The book also addresses oppressive work that undermines human flourishing, examining potential solutions to mitigate the impact of bad work on those who perform it. Finally, a guiding argument of the book is that promoting meaningful work is a matter of ethics, more so than a matter of politics. Prioritizing people over profit, treating workers with respect, respecting the intelligence of working people, and creating opportunities for people to contribute developed skills are basic ethical principles for employing organizations and for communities at large.
A fresh look at a “robot-proof” education in the new age of generative AI. In 2017, Robot-Proof, the first edition, foresaw the advent of the AI economy and called for a new model of higher education designed to help human beings flourish alongside smart machines. That economy has arrived. Creative tasks that, seven years ago, seemed resistant to automation can now be performed with a simple prompt. As a result, we must now learn not only to be conversant with these technologies, but also to comprehend and deploy their outputs. In this revised and updated edition, Joseph Aoun rethinks the university’s mission for a world transformed by AI, advocating for the lifelong endeavor of a “robot-proof” education. Aoun puts forth a framework for a new curriculum, humanics, which integrates technological, data, and human literacies in an experiential setting, and he renews the call for universities to embrace lifelong learning through a social compact with government, employers, and learners themselves. Drawing on the latest developments and debates around generative AI, Robot-Proof is a blueprint for the university as a force for human reinvention in an era of technological change—an era in which we must constantly renegotiate the shifting boundaries between artificial intelligence and the capacities that remain uniquely human.
Could millions of jobs soon be eliminated by artificial intelligence and robots? From driverless cars to digital assistants, it seems the world of work is on the cusp of a technological revolution that is generating hopes and fears alike. But are the robots really knocking at the door? And what does all this mean for New Zealanders? In this far-sighted and lucid book, Kinley Salmon explores the future of work in New Zealand. He interrogates common predictions about a jobless future and explores what might happen to workers in New Zealand as automation becomes more widespread. This book also asks big questions about the power we have to shape technological progress and to influence how robots and artificial intelligence are adopted. It sketches out two bold alternative futures for New Zealand – and suggests what it might take, and what we might risk, to pursue each of them. It is time, Salmon argues, to start debating and choosing the future we want for New Zealand.
Advantages to robotic bring to working environmentWhat advantages that robotic will bring to working environment? They may include: Many people fear that robots or full automation may someday take their jobs, but this is simply not the case. Robots bring more advantages than disadvantages to the workplace. They enrich a company's ability to succeed while improving the lives of real, human employees who are still needed to keep operations running smoothly. If you're thinking about investing in some robots, share the advantages with your employees. You might be surprised at how many of them are quick to support the idea.1. SafetySafety is the most obvious advantage of utilizing robotics. Heavy machinery, machinery that runs at hot temperature, and sharp objects can easily injure a human being. By delegating dangerous tasks to a robot, you're more likely to look at a repair bill than a serious medical bill or a lawsuit. Employees who work dangerous jobs will be thankful that robots can remove some of the risks.2. SpeedRobots don't get distracted or need to take breaks. They don't request vacation time or ask to leave an hour early. A robot will never feel stressed out and start running slower. They also don't need to be invited to employee meetings or training session. Robots can work all the time, and this speeds up production. They keep your employees from having to overwork themselves to meet high pressure deadlines or seemingly impossible standards.3. ConsistencyRobots never need to divide their attention between a multitude of things. Their work is never contingent on the work of other people. They won't have unexpected emergencies, and they won't need to be relocated to complete a different time sensitive task. They're always there, and they're doing what they're supposed to do. Automation is typically far more reliable than human labor.4. PerfectionRobots will always deliver quality. Since they're programmed for precise, repetitive motion, they're less likely to make mistakes. In some ways, robots are simultaneously an employee and a quality control system. A lack of quirks and preferences, combined with the eliminated possibility of human error, will create a predictably perfect product every time.5. Happier EmployeesSince robots are often assigned to perform tasks that people don't particularly enjoy, like menial work, repetitive motion, or dangerous jobs, your employees are more likely to be happy. They'll be focusing on more engaging work that's less likely to grind down their nerves. They might want to take advantage of additional educational opportunities, utilize your employee wellness program, or participate in an innovative workplace project. They'll be happy to let the robots do the work that leaves them feeling burned out.6. Job CreationRobots don't take jobs away. They merely change the jobs that exist. Robots need people for monitoring and supervision. The more robots we need, the more people we'll need to build those robots. By training your employees to work with robots, you're giving them a reason to stay motivated in their position with your company. They'll be there for the advancements and they'll have the unique opportunity to develop a new set of tech or engineering related skills.7. ProductivityRobots can't do everything. Some jobs absolutely need to be completed by a human. If your human employees aren't caught up doing the things that could have easily be left for robots, they'll be available and productive. They can talk to customers, answer emails and social media comments, help with branding and marketing, and sell products. You'll be amazed at how much they can accomplish when the grunt work isn't weighing them down.
"Digital technology will bring globalisation and robotics (globotics) to previously shielded professional and service sectors. Jobs will be displaced at the eruptive pace of digital technology while they will be replaced at a normal historical pace. The mismatch will produce a backlash - the globotics upheaval"--
