CB Recruitment Blog

Job Security: Will Robots Take Over the World One Day

Cover image for Job Security: Will Robots Take Over the World One Day

Will robots take over the world, one day? Recently, with the launch and subsequent mass uptake of ChatGPT, Midjourney, Dalle and others, social media has been buzzing with (uneducated) opinions and concerns about whether people’s jobs are safe. Indeed, many ask, “when will robots take over the world?” rather than “if” we will lose our jobs to future AIs.

This post is a deep dive into artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). We are genuinely attempting to discover if robots will take over the world and shape our future for better or worse.

Contents

Robotics? Is this Technology the way of the Future?

We’ve all watched sci-fi films from the past and believed that high-level futuristic storylines could never become part of our present day. However, AI (artificial intelligence) is shaping up to become a game changer.

AI, such as chatGPT, may seem reasonably basic LLM (large language model), but machine learning takes user input, assesses results, and improves for future outputs.

What is Robotics?

Wikipedia suggests that robotics is “an interdisciplinary branch of computer science and engineering. Robotics involves the design, construction, operation, and use of robots. The goal of robotics is to design machines that can help and assist humans.”

Yes, that’s the techy explanation, so let’s simplify the subject.

Robotics is multidisciplinary technology that creates the robots appearing on our timelines today with increasing frequency. Building a robot requires a blend of engineering, computer science and other technologies focusing on tangibles such as: –

  • Where and how the robot can be used
  • Design, construction, and operation
  • Ease of user- experience

Initially, use cases for robots were to work in hazardous situations and fulfil repetitive tasks, reducing the human risks of working in a dangerous environment. Likewise, robots don’t take holidays, sick days, or compassionate leave. Yes, robots can break down. Still, it may be a preferred option for some companies with a potential risk to human life from handling dangerous factory equipment or hazardous chemicals.

According to Zippia, there are 2.7 million industrial robots worldwide with a $43.8 billion global market value by revenue and an American CAGR of 11.67% through to 2026. In addition, the report states that 88% of companies have plans to invest in robotics.

What is a Robot?

Are robots a machine? Yes and no. Although robots are similar to machines made of metal and other components, they can respond to and interact with their surroundings. If the technology supports machine learning (ML), they can improve their “services” by receiving feedback.

If you have used chatGPT, you have observed the thumbs-up or thumbs-down images to measure the value of its generated responses. You can also tell chatGPT if the results were good or rubbish and ask it to perform in a specific way.

Over time, with millions of daily users, the “machine” could become spectacularly helpful for many businesses.

The public’s biggest concern is that robots can autonomously reason, sense, plan, take action and model human behaviour. Well, let’s face it, there are a lot of humans who don’t do so well on any of that!

The Benefits of Robots

  • They don’t look for a new job when they’re bored.
  • Robots can work in hazardous environments.
  • Increased productivity: They can work 24/7 and learn from mistakes.
  • Robots are (generally) very accurate.
  • No HR demands mean no salary, pension, bonuses etc.

The Disadvantages of Robots

  • Some robots are not so good at making “sense” of what they can see, but that will likely change as technology evolves.
  • Initial costs can be expensive.
  • Companies may still require ML (machine learning) programmers and experts who can implement repairs and add essential components.

Will Robots take our Jobs?

According to the PwC website report, automation could impact 30% of UK jobs by 2030, affecting employees and industries at different times. Analysing the jobs of 200,000 workers from 29 countries, the data (based on tasks and skills and employee gender profiles by sector) suggests that women’s jobs may be affected first, with men catching up in the mid-2030s.

The Chief Economist, John Hawksworth, at PwC, states, “We don’t believe that automation will lead to mass technological unemployment by the 2030s, any more than it has done in the decades since the digital revolution began. In the long run, AI, robotics and related technologies should not only make a significant contribution to UK GDP of up to 10% but should also generate enough new jobs to broadly offset the potential job losses associated with automation.”

In addition, he said, “But we should not be complacent about the coming waves of automation: there will be challenges to many workers to adapt to these changes through enhancing their skills and retraining for new careers in some cases. Governments, businesses, trade unions and educational providers will all have a role to play in helping people through this transition.”

Should we be Worried?

Will robots be the future of humanity? Possibly. Still, instead of stressing about losing our jobs, a more productive way of thinking is, “how can I prepare for a future dominated by AI?”

Despite the increasing efficiency of robots, there is still a need for human interaction. The McKinsey study regarding automation and machines suggests that our way of working IS likely to change, but we should change with the AI evolution instead of resisting the inevitable.

The fact is that you may need to acquire different skills to get and keep a job. The report states that by 2030, the following may apply: –

  • Activities requiring mostly manual and physical skills will decline by 18%.
  • Jobs that require cognitive skills may fall by 28%

You are in a better position than most if you have technical skills. Workers with science, technology, engineering, and mathematical (STEM) skills could be in greater demand.

In caregiving roles, there’s no replacement for the human touch. Such jobs, like nurses and carers, require socioemotional skills. So, unless we develop genuinely sentient robots, these jobs are safe. However, never say never.

On the other end of the scale, robots could become digital assistants and customer service operatives. They could take over daily chores like cleaning and cooking, which could become automated. Well, the latter sounds good, if nothing else does.

Will robots take over the world and become top surgeons, financial advisors, and city traders? Well, all of these thoughts are no longer “pie in the sky.” As we make advancements in AI technology, the parameters stretch into futuristic possibilities in our present time.

AI can gather data from thousands of sales calls, optimise the best results and become the company’s top salesperson, sales robot, or whatever we call it. Could human sales teams be disbanded? You decide. If you don’t yet believe robots are a threat to your job, go and play with your pet unicorn in Narnia because AI is coming to take our jobs, whether we like it or not.

Should we be worried that robots will take over the world one day? After all, they can adapt to the environment, systems and processes and manage complex tasks. It is concerning. Still, robots could improve our daily lives, taking away dull, menial jobs and giving humans more freedom to explore creativity and problem-solving.

Robots can handle monotonous, repetitive tasks like adding components to build a car in a factory. One human currently does one task and then passes it to another to perform the next job. These are soul-sucking jobs for humans, and robots are better suited. They could potentially improve our lives dramatically. We could see healthcare benefits, better transport and more creative job options and careers.

Future-Proof your Job: Learn to Talk to Robots

The video below shows the “world’s most advanced” humanoid robot called Ameca, created by Engineered Arts. The company states, well, actually, Ameca says that “robots will never take over the world. We’re here to help and serve humans, not replace them.”

It’s a little bit spooky watching the robot’s facial expressions, and can we genuinely trust the “word” of a robot programmed with responses? According to Engineered Arts, Ameca’s answers are not pre-programmed, “nothing in this video is pre-scripted”, they say, but based on a simple cue and a “description of self” given to Ameca.

Ameca’s eye movements are like human eye direction when the brain accesses memories, such as looking up and to the left, indicating a person is telling the truth. Subconsciously, as a human, we recognise these universal signals of communication. Likewise, the timing of eye contact with the questioner is very clever programming.

Watch the video closely and observe the pauses in conversation after each question, much like a human being considering appropriate responses. However, before you spook out, the delay is caused by the AI processing text into speech. Not as fast as chatGPT. I am just saying.

Conclusion: Job Security: Will Robots Take Over the World One Day

To sum up, will robots take over the world? We’ve uncovered that robots can undoubtedly take a big bite out of the employment market, but whether they will rule the world depends on who is ruling them. Scary thought!

ChatGPT is all over the media right now. Many say the API has robotic responses and can never create content like humans. That’s a premature judgement based on its current performance and cannot be a measure of future results.

SEO and content creators are exploring the potential of chatGPT to stay ahead of the market. In addition, Google is trying to clamp down on AI-generated content ranking in SERPS, but, ultimately, the tech giants will all want a part of the robot evolution because it will be huge.

GPT stands for Generative Pre-Trained Transformer. It is programmed to generate text as a human does. Where GPT fails is the response to poor user prompts, and we cannot blame it for our inefficiency in speaking robot language.

Top tip: If you want to stay ahead of the game, learn to speak the robot’s language. Embrace the technology in preparation for the future of AI.

Above all, we’re not leaving you to figure out the answers on your lonesome. The future of web3 companies embraces all levels of technology including AI and machine learning.

Learn Prompting is a free, open-source course on communicating with artificial intelligence. In addition, there are dozens of YouTube videos on the subject and many specific use cases. Simply search for “prompt engineering” or “how to become a prompt engineer”.

The future of AI is already happening. In December 2022, a Twitter post reported that Scale hired the first-ever prompt engineer.

It could be you.

If you’d prefer chatting with a human about your Web3 career, contact the CB recruitment specialist team to explore your options.

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When I contacted James, he immediately set to work in finding me a placement. He is extremely professional and takes a personal stance on the way he talks to you, setting you at ease. I can happily and safely recommend James to anyone that would require his skill set.

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Barking and Dagenham Council

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About Author

Jan Barley's profile picture

Jan Barley

Jan is a SEO copywriter, brand advisor, content strategist & case study specialist writing for crypto, recruitment, and SaaS companies. Jan lives in the Cotswold's UK with two rescue dogs. Since 2020, Jan has written hundreds of SEO articles for various crypto companies including CB Recruitment & Coin Bureau.

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