Better Than Human: Why Robots Will — And Must — Take Our Jobs
Let the Robots Take Over
Peter Yang
KEVIN KELLY | Wired Magazine
Imagine that 7 out of 10 working Americans got fired tomorrow. What would they all do?
Robot replacement is just a matter of time. This upheaval is being led by a second wave of automation, one that is centered on artificial cognition, cheap sensors, machine learning, and distributed smarts.
This deep automation will touch all jobs, from manual labor to knowledge work. First, machines will consolidate their gains in already-automated industries. Next, the more dexterous chores of cleaning in offices and schools will be taken over by late-night robots, starting with easy-to-do floors and windows and eventually getting to toilets.
Here’s why we’re at the inflection point: Machines are acquiring smarts.
First, it can perceive humans working near it and avoid injuring them.
Second, to train the bot you simply grab its arms and guide them in the correct motions and sequence.
The third difference is that it is cheap. Priced at $22,000, it’s in a different league compared with the $500,000 total bill of its predecessors.
This is a race with the machines. You’ll be paid in the future based on how well you work with robots.
We need to let robots take over. They will do jobs we have been doing, and do them much better than we can. They will do jobs we...