Automation is lurking in the shadows. Its the silent disruptor, aiming to displace billions. But how? And who? The last post presented automation in a nutshell. It highlighted certain concerning aspects, but it didn’t really give hard numbers or statistics. Things that people can believe, use in conversation, and go off of to form their own conclusions. That’s what this post will be about.
The Data Narrative
Why is data the ultimate decider of things? Can’t data be manipulated or spun to support a narrative?
When attempting to argue a point, I usually bring in data to support my conclusions. I use a very simple sentence structure: “According to *insert data source*, XYZ will happen.” I find this to be compelling and easily-understood writing. I don’t try to overlap my own narrative with the data, because my opinions on this topic are not relevant—even if they were relevant, how would my opinions change the outcome of the data?
For this reason, I choose to present data in an unbiased fashion, so that you, the reader, can interpret it and create your own narrative. I am merely the spreader of this information; you choose whether the information is relevant to your particular lifestyle or circumstance.
When it comes to automation, I think using data and statistics is the only way to provide clear communication. It backs up my point, and, hypothetically, if my arguments and the data I am using do not coalesce properly, you can easily see that I am taking you for a ride. Thus data and statistics will be the crutches of communicating the impact of automation on Generation Z and subsequent generations.
Why Now?
When learning about automation for the first time, people are shocked. “I am going to be replaced?” they ask. I understand this sentiment. Its a dreary feeling to really take into account your replaceable position in society; to know that you are a fungible entity. However, these views have existed throughout society for millennia. Slaves, minimum-wage employees, third-world workers in sweat shops, and other examples all illustrate the same thing: the capacity to ignore human rights and freedoms in pursuit of profit and power.
Throughout the world, 167 countries have some form of slavery; 250 million children in developing countries make ~20 cents a day working 16 hour days; as of 2019, 1.2 million workers in the United States alone were paid below the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour. Humans who are exploited in the most obscene and cruel ways are not uncommon in the 21st century. You just have to do a little digging around the Internet, and out pops a cesspool of information regarding the cruelties of human existence—if you aren’t born in a first-world country or the 1% of society (whichever comes first).
Moving on, we are getting to the point where these workers, and many others, are at risk of being replaced by AI. One of the reasons for the minimal pay of these “jobs” is due to the repetitive and even dangerous nature of them. Warehouse workers move and stack boxes; cashiers handle money; sweatshop workers sew shirts. There are no complexities to these roles; they are monotonous, boring, and lack meaning of any kind. Deploying digital or physical machines that conduct the same routines in an unpaid, unsupervised, unlimited fashion is…inevitable. Paraphrasing Harari in his outstanding book, Homo Deus, AI has gotten to a point where it is battling with humans over cognitive roles, not just physical.
The Facts
We come to the crux of the post: the data around automation in 2022. Its not looking good. I’ll throw out some bullet points to give you an idea of how its looking for workers around the world:
- Robots could displace 20 million manufacturing jobs by 2030.
- In wealthy nations, up to one-third of the workforce must retrain or re-skill.
- Generation Z is at the highest risk of being displaced due to automation.
- 50% of business leaders say that they’re planning to accelerate the automation of repetitive tasks.
- 69% of managerial work will be automated by 2024.
These are hand-selected data points which I think are sufficient in explaining the preliminary impact of automation. In my hypothesis, I think automation will have a snowball effect: once it starts, it will only compound and the destructive nature will be much worse than anyone, including myself, could have anticipated.
As I said before, I am not attempting to spin any kind of narrative. The previous points surrounding automation were rather negative and pessimistic. Here are some data points from the other side of the coin:
- 34% of businesses say they plan to expand their workforce due to technology integration.
- Education and social work sectors face the least concerns with automation.
- 57% of employers want to use automation in order to enhance worker performance and productivity.
- Autonomous vehicles can save 1.25 million lives worldwide per year.
- 65% of knowledge workers are less stressed because they are able to automate manual tasks.
The Verdict
You have sufficient information to make a calculated opinion on how automation will affect your life. What’s more, if you feel like I am fibbing or don’t believe the data, possibly because you think I am still spinning a narrative or picking and choosing the research I use, feel free to DYOR. At times, writing can only communicate certain aspects of topics. The gaps must be filled by readers’ curiosity—and possible anxiety. One thing is for sure: automation will be felt by everyone, whether you know or are someone who is/will be automated. The time is now to understand these shifts before they happen, and aim to come out on top of it—and if you’re like me, the most important thing is to tell as many people as possible about what is to come. Lives are at stake, as they unfortunately always are.