Being replaced by robots or AI is a legitimate concern of today’s professionals, particularly in the manufacturing industry. While this means better productivity for the manufacturing industry, professionals feel robots are taking jobs away.
Robots can never replace people. We say this point-blank because, in the end, humans will still be the masters of machinery. Imagining how robots will be the masters of the entire human race can stay in books and movies because there is enough proof to say that robots can not replace people, as seen in the manufacturing industry.
This post is dedicated to celebrating artificial intelligence advancements and empowering the community working in manufacturing industries. You are still needed!
Related reading: The Impact of Automation on Employment and the Job Market
Manufacturing is indeed benefiting from artificial intelligence.
Many industries and companies have turned to automation, cloud computing, and other technological advancements for ease of operations, the way each of us is enjoying the help of computers in our daily life. The manufacturing industry finds great use in modern advancements, mainly through AI and robotics. Artificial intelligence in manufacturing market size was valued at USD 2.3 billion and is projected to reach up to 16.3 billion by 2027.1
These numbers are not surprising, considering AI and robots are making operations a lot easier for manufacturing companies, and this is because of:2
Quality control. With machines quickly adhering to a strict set of standards, you can automate the identification of errors in production. The desire to maintain a level of quality can easily be achieved.
Creative generation. Robots can study the past designs of engineers and memorize them through machine learning. Manufacturers can rapidly come up with numerous designs for a single product and have several options to choose from.
Inventory management. Overstocking and understocking are common problems in the manufacturing industry. The former leads to unnecessary spending, while the latter leads to unmet consumer demands and, ultimately, loss of profit.
Using robots and AI to do inventory work keeps numbers healthy, with proper schedules of when stock needs replenishment or excess stock needs rerouting.
Warehouse and factory automation. It’s no secret that machines are being used in several factories. This is because of their ability to avoid human error in production and speed up the process.
With logistics being monitored every minute and security handled by AI monitors, fewer people are needed in factories and warehouses.
Robots can never replace people. Here’s why.
The functions mentioned above used to be entrusted to humans. This gives reason to believe that robots can replace humans. The reality here is, yes, some jobs have and will become obsolete because of robots and artificial intelligence.
However, this does not mean that jobs are taken away. Since 2000, an estimated 1,700 jobs in manufacturing were slowly phased out in favor of robots and AI.3 However, by 2025, AI will create 97 million new jobs.4
Where would these new jobs come from? A lot of it will be connected to the testing and maintenance of these machines. In the end, robots and computers utilizing AI are still subject to wear and tear.
External factors such as the weather and the quality of air within factories and warehouses can be harmful to a machine’s longevity, which is why constant maintenance is still a responsibility to be completed by the human professional.
Furthermore, testing of outputs should still be done by actual persons. After all, products of the manufacturing industry will be catered to consumers. It can be considered unethical if real people did not test products or if consumer research was entirely skipped so production could rise.
There are other qualities of the human person that cannot be replaced through AI or robots:
Thinking outside of the box. Robots and programs that function through AI are stuck with a system of reasoning based on predetermined data and scenarios.5
Because of this, when faced with problems, they can only refer to solutions that they have been through before and not come up with new ones. This may cause poor functionality and, ultimately, failure of machinery.
By using resources within our reach, humans can come up with different perspectives on using these resources or look at problems from a new angle. This allows us to look into various new scenarios, something that computers or robots can not do.
With today’s workplace celebrating diversity and inclusivity, various influences mean additional facets of a multi-sided system of ideas. This is why computers can never replace humans, due to the ever-growing importance of human input.
Adaptability. When machines face abrupt changes in manufacturing situations, most, if not all, still have to be configured so that their outputs are appropriate. If left unattended, they’ll continue to give output that may become obsolete because of new requirements caused by changes in market demand or the cost of materials.
AI can’t adjust on its own. Human intervention by professionals in IT has to be used. Additionally, in these situations, human factory workers can quickly adapt to these changes. A simple message to them is enough for calibration with necessary adjustments in manufacturing.
Overall, robot technology and artificial intelligence are far from perfect. Type “robot fail videos” on your search engine, and you’ll be treated to pages of results. These videos are only a testament to the fact that robots still need to be guided by professionals. Your expertise in the manufacturing industry still holds its relevance and will for a long time.
While there is a concern that robots may take away manufacturing industry jobs, the presence of AI is not a threat. Your skills and knowledge as a manufacturing professional will remain significant and needed in the industry to conquer the challenges of the future.
The manufacturing industry should not focus on using robots and AI as a replacement for industry professionals but as an advantage to ease the working conditions. As a professional, you can start by expanding your career through upskilling to learn more about robotics and automation for your specific industry.
FUTURE-PROOF YOUR CAREER THROUGH DAVIS COMPANIES.
Our aim at DAVIS Companies is to excel at delivering superior services to professionals like you. We have been a preferred partner by our clients, contract, and internal staff.
Allow us to lead you to your next best job, whether you are in the manufacturing, engineering, or IT industries. We invite you to follow the DAVIS Way in approaching how else you can move forward with your career.
The future looks great. Contact DAVIS Companies now.
References
1 MarketsAndMarkets. “Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing Market by Offering (Hardware, Software, Services), Industry, Application, Technology (Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Context-aware Computing, Computer Vision), & Region (2022-2027).” https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/artificial-intelligence-manufacturing-market-72679105.html. No publish date. Accessed last February 21, 2023.
2 Simplilearn. “AI in Manufacturing: Here’s Everything You Should Know.” https://www.simplilearn.com/growing-role-of-ai-in-manufacturing-industry-article. No publishing date. Updated last February 13, 2023. Accessed last February 21, 2023.
3 TeamStage. “Jobs Lost to Automation Statistics in 2022.” https://builtin.com/artificial-intelligence/ai-replacing-jobs-creating-jobs. No publish date. Accessed last February 21, 2023.
4 World Economic Forum. “The Future of Jobs Report 2020.” https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-future-of-jobs-report-2020. Published last October 20, 2020. Accessed last February 21, 2023.
5 MindManager. “Non-Linear Thinking: The Ultimate Guide to Non-Linear Thinking.” https://www.mindmanager.com/en/tips/linear-thinking/non/. No publish date. Accessed last February 21, 2023.
