ARIZONA NEWS

Are robots taking over the world?

Sep 28, 2013, 8:30 AM | Updated: 8:30 am

Industry has a long history of benefiting from technological progress. From the spinning jenny to the personal computer, machines have not only made production and distribution easier, but cheaper, too.

But industry’s love affair with faster and cheaper ways to produce goods has its downsides. Since the earliest days of the industrial revolution, workers in every field have feared a more efficient machine would one day replace their jobs. Machines, after all, don’t ask for raises and can be discarded the moment they cease to be useful.

That fear has once again peaked its head, as is shown in authors David H. Autor and David Dorn’s New York Times article, “How technology wrecks the middle class.”

“Have we mechanized and computerized ourselves into obsolescence?” they ask. Autor and Dorn’s study explores how quickly advancing technology may not threaten everyone’s job, but it does appear to be responsible for increasing wage inequality.

Machines, they argue, typically only replace more menial jobs that require less education and therefore only negatively affect those who either can’t afford — or don’t qualify for — college or other technical training programs.

Oxford University researchers Carl Frey and Michael Osborne, however, believe there is reason to fear that even many jobs that Americans believe are exempt from robot takeovers are in danger of being mechanized.

“Algorithms for big data are now rapidly entering domains reliant upon pattern recognition and can readily substitute for labor in a wide range of non-routine cognitive tasks,” they wrote Tuesday in an article for Quartz.

“Those working in fields such as administration could once feel comfortable that a computer would never be able to do their job,” they continued. “But that will no longer be the case for many.”

Or, as Isaac Asimov wrote in his famous collection of short stories, “I, Robot,” “Only the machines, from now on, are inevitable.”

To know if your job is in trouble, check out these 14 jobs that are quickly being replaced by robots.

JJ Feinauer is a graduate of Southern Virginia University and a content writer for the Moneywise page on DeseretNews.com. Email: jfeinauer@deseretdigital.com, Twitter: @jjfeinauer.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

Live music and DJ sets are one of the main attractions during the Whoopee Daze Festival this weeken...

David Veenstra

Whoopee Daze Festival arrives in Tolleson this weekend

The Whoopee Daze Festival returns to Tolleson this weekend. The three-day festival features a parade, carnival rides, food trucks and crafts.

30 minutes ago

southern Arizona rancher George Alan Kelly...

Associated Press

Trial of a southern Arizona rancher charged in fatal shooting of unarmed migrant goes to the jury

Closing arguments were made against a southern Arizona rancher accused of shooting an undocumented migrant on his land to death on Thursday.

1 hour ago

Operation Makeup Break Up...

Serena O'Sullivan

3 West Valley women accused of selling stolen merchandise out of their homes

Three West Valley women have been indicted for operating illicit businesses from their home using stolen merchandise, authorities said.

2 hours ago

Aircraft perform a flyover during the Global Premiere of "Top Gun: Maverick" on May 4, 2022 in San ...

David Veenstra

Scottsdale Airport to show ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ for its first movie night

Scottsdale Airport will offer a starlit screening of "Top Gun: Maverick" on Saturday with Tom Cruise soaring as a daring naval aviator.

5 hours ago

File photo of a prison fence with barbed wire on top. Broderrick Ramon Coggeshell was sentenced Mon...

KTAR.com

Arizona drunk driver sentenced to 9 years in prison for causing fatal crash in 2022

An Arizona man was sentenced Monday to nine years in prison for causing a fatal crash in 2022 while driving drunk, authorities said.

6 hours ago

Preparations are underway for the Home & Garden Show's Floral Showcase at WestWorld of Scottsdale. ...

David Veenstra

Maricopa County Home and Garden Show’s new Floral Showcase coming to Scottsdale this weekend

The Maricopa County Home and Garden show's Floral Showcase is coming to the Valley for the first time this weekend.

7 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

COLLINS COMFORT MASTERS

Here are 5 things Arizona residents need to know about their HVAC system

It's warming back up in the Valley, which means it's time to think about your air conditioning system's preparedness for summer.

...

Midwestern University

Midwestern University Clinics: transforming health care in the valley

Midwestern University, long a fixture of comprehensive health care education in the West Valley, is also a recognized leader in community health care.

...

Collins Comfort Masters

Avoid a potential emergency and get your home’s heating and furnace safety checked

With the weather getting colder throughout the Valley, the best time to make sure your heating is all up to date is now. 

Are robots taking over the world?