Robots Replacing the Workforce
As society progresses,new innovations are implemented to make tasks easier to accomplish. We use technology as forms of education, entertainment, communication, and enterprise. Oftentimes, the use of technology in American society will be seen as a fundamental right rather than a luxury because it is easily accessible. Most peoplewill use technology to bypass certain obstacles. In Alanna Petroff’s article, “U.S. workers face higher risk of being replaced by robots. Here’s why,”the authorclaims that robots taking over positions will not prevent United States’ workers from obtaining jobs because more positions will be created in the future. Although people working in the financial sector will likely have robots taking over their positions, there will still be many positions open for people who want to pursue other careers. This will result in larger numbers of people working in technological fields to be valued more because their expertise will be needed in order to implementrobots into the workforce.
Although Petroff argues that the use of robots in the workforce will not harm workers in the United States, her justifications are not thoroughly proven. Having robots joining the United States’ labor force will lead to a crippled economy and shocking liability.
To begin with, having robots joining the United States’ labor force will lead to a crippled economy because only jobs with specialist skills will be available. For instance, Petroff writes, ‘“People with jobs in education, health care and social work are the least at risk of being replaced… “(Petroff). In order to obtain a job with specific skills, people need to seek higher education such as college or vocational schools. Most people cannot afford to go to college due to their circumstances such as their living conditions or inadequate educational credentials. Another example is when Petroff writes, “John Hawksworth, PwC’s chief economist in the U.K., said that many workers in the U.S. financial sector are focused on domestic retail operations — think bank tellers in small towns” (Petroff). If only highly skilled jobs that require higher education are the only ones available and robots are taking over retail positions, how will people provide for themselves while in school? People will go straight to unemployment offices and asks for resources in order to supplement their problems. The United States champions capitalism; this will result in a failing economy in which there are more people taking money from the government than providing money into the economy. People will not be able to buy products and encourage enterprises to prosper. Overall, robots obstructing people from obtaining jobs will cause the economy to crash.
Finally, having robots joining the United States’ labor force will lead to a shocking liability because people will not be receptive towards robots taking their jobs. For instance, Petroff writes, “In the U.S., 61% of jobs in the sector are at a high risk of being replaced by robots “(Petroff). That means that most jobs will be taken over and people will most likely lash out against enterprises or government. People will not be open to robots replacing thembecause it will hinder them from obtaining their money. This could cause any enterprise to face tremendous backlash and lose their business because most people will boycott it. People value a traditional workforce and will not accept the change if it is forced upon them. Another example is when Petroff writes, “meanwhile, the authors warns that more robots could mean greater social inequality” (Petroff). People in higher positions include robots into their enterprise in order to circumvent the cost of providing salaries, benefits, and insurance to people. Also, the maintenance of robots is cheaper than accommodating employees. This will eventually lead to social inequality because the rich will end up getting wealthier due to saving money, while the poor will end up impoverished due to losing their jobs. In brief, replacing most of the workforce with robots will cause people to lose faith and end up in disastrous situations.
Thus, in Alanna Petroff’s article, “U.S. workers face higher risk of being replaced by robots. Here’s why,” the authorclaims that robots taking over positions will not prevent United States’ workers from obtaining jobs because more positions will be created in the future. Most people will argue that having robots joining the United States’ labor force will lead to crippled economy and shocking liability. People will see that the workforce is gradually changing due to layoffs and finding easier alternatives to go to. How far will society go until technology completely takes over? There have been many examples showcased in the media such as books, movies, and shows that have warned us of its effects. Americans should not rely on robots working at enterprises because it will negatively affect our way of living.
Works Cited
Petroff, Alanna. “U.S. workers face higher risk of being replaced by robots. Here’s why.” CNN. Last Modified: March 24, 2017. https://money.cnn.com/2017/03/24/technology/robots-jobs-us-workers-uk/index.html