Summarizing "Humans & Robots Can Work Together"

Dear Editor,

Lately, there has been a lot of concern in our community about robots and automated processes taking over human jobs. But humans have always used technology to make their lives easier.

With technologies like electronic toll collection, online shopping, self-checkout, and ATMs, automation has become part of our daily lives. But this doesn’t mean we live in a robot-dominated world. The real result of automation is greater efficiency and convenience. And with more robots on the way, life will be getting easier for everyone.

For example, one major online retailer (the leader in online shopping) receives between 20,000 and 30,000 orders a day. In 2014, the company started using little orange robots to help manage the number of orders. By 2018, the company employed around 45,000 of these robots. When an order is placed, a robot is sent to retrieve the pod where the item can be found in the warehouse. Each robot brings the pod to a human worker, who puts the ordered object into a customer’s bin. These robots have not replaced human workers. In fact, with humans and robots working together, an order can be filled 80 percent faster.

Retail is another field in which people fear that automation will be replacing human workers. However, many robotics companies are looking for ways to combine the best efforts of human and robotic workers.

One solution is a “remote presence system.” The system consists of small robots that look like rolling computers and have video-chat capabilities. These systems allow company employees to be anywhere in the world and still help customers in a store. All the workers need is Wi-Fi and a special app that links them to the robot. These robots do not take away jobs. Instead, they can help create jobs in areas where there are few employment opportunities. People can work for a store even if they don’t live near it.

Having humans work alongside robots improves efficiency and speed and can even create new human jobs! The job of robots is to make humans’ work easier, but humans will be working jobs for a long time to come.

—Eleanor Hahn