Essay on robots in general

Fiorilo 1

Marcelo Fiorilo

Professor Arnold

ENC 1102

12 June 2020

Academic Argument Synthesis Essay

Robots started in the ancient days, yet in the modern world, robots came into being during the Industrial Revolution. George Devol, the inventor of the first robot, made sure it was digitally operated as well as programmable. Later in 1956, the first robot company was established by Devil and Joseph, his partner. The first robot was used in different companies, for instance, General Motors automobile factory in New Jersey. The rise of computer and information technology came together to form artificial intelligence in the form of "robots that could learn." Therefore, a series of robots was designed, and each had a specific task to play.

Since 1980, modern robots have been given the ability to learn but also executing different industrial tasks. For instance, handling all types of jobs that the robot has been programmed to handle with massive effectiveness, speed, and efficiency. In the past, robots were designed to manage all the dirty work, but currently, they are being allocated towards office tasks. Additionally, the fact they are not paid, and they have the potential to handle a higher amount of work than human beings, made robots preferred by employers. This was seen as an effective way of reducing the cost of production. As a matter of reality, companies that since 1980 have embraced robotic technology have benefited from an added competitive edge than companies that rely entirely on human labor. This also means that robots have a massive impact on businesses and life in general. Notably, the effect is both positive and negative; and this essay shall hence focus on analyzing the effect that robots have on businesses and life.

Since the introduction of robots in the world of business, there has been a massive impact that people have experienced. Some people view the effects from the positive point of view and others from the negative point of view. Nevertheless, just like any other innovative idea, robotic technology is not perfect in all aspects. This is why some people claim and feel that robots negatively affect business and life in general. Others who benefit from them think that since their introduction, life has changed for the better both at work and at home as well.

According to research conducted by Moniz, António, and Bettina, (23), robots were designed using artificial intelligence because they were meant to cooperatively work with human beings and not to replace them. The author claims that this is the greatest misconception that has made some people develop a negative attitude towards the inventions. Robots were made to handle issues like human beings because they were meant to complement Homo sapiens. By doing so, human beings would learn and perfect their performances. In the article, the author claims that it is a wrong perception where people have been using the statement "Robots working with humans," but instead, it should be "Humans working with robots." Moniz, António and Bettina, (23); share an example of the first robots, for instance, the one at the GM because it was working with human beings.

In a different article by DeCanio, Stephen, (281), similar sentiments to Moniz, António, and Bettina are shared in the sense that artificial intelligence is meant to help perfect human beings and not to overshadow them. In the article, DeCanio, Stephen (281) states that whenever robots are used to substitute human beings, they create competition, which is why they are not appreciated. However, when they are used with the function of complementing human beings, they have managed to make a positive impact on work and life. One of the ways that DeCanio, Stephen, (282); summarizes the effects of robotic technology is as it being the only technology which promotes workplace safety. This is because robots operate in the same way as human beings due to the application of artificial intelligence, and since they are machines, they cannot suffer any harm or injury. Thus, the human race is saved from handling tasks that can lead to accidents and incidents, such as handling toxins and chemicals.

According to Daroga, Ranjeet, and Nishantraj, (1), robotic technology was made to endorse the sixth sense through artificial intelligence. This also signifies that humans have to apply their five different senses and use technology to boost each other with a sixth sense. For this reason, the presence of robots in the workplace has promoted working speed. The greater incentive behind this initiative is for workers to have a specific number of labor hours and a maximum speed rate they can handle different tasks. Robots have a relatively high-operating speed, and the fact they are programmed makes them error-free. As a matter of fact, robots can handle tasks that are handled by ten individuals in a day (Dirican, Cüneyt, 566). In a visual comparison, a single robot is a representation of ten employees. Furthermore, robots do not require supervision or motivation for them to work. This also makes robots a key player for investors since they are able to meet deadlines and set standards. Moreover, unlike human beings who are consistent in performance, robots are consistent, which is why companies that have embraced robots record higher and reliable performance.

From the impact that robots have in the workplace, the impact can be said to be both functional and negative (Smids, Jilles, Sven, and Hannah, 21). The fact that they help in executing tasks effectively and in a secure way is a threat and affects levels of motivation. Also, many employees have been able to learn from robots and have managed to progress their careers due to improved performance. However, there is also a negative impact in the sense that employees are gradually becoming dependent on robots to execute almost all the work. This is one of the reasons employees offer their employers a limited number of workers to handle the tasks with robots' help.

In daily life, robots can make a positive impact because they are used for different purposes. This also means that they quickly make life more comfortable, and one does not need to spend on them. For instance, robots can be sent out for shopping or deliver something to any location (Smids, Jilles, Sven, and Hannah, 22). Robots are built to handle even house chores, which means people can relax while robots work, for instance, cleaning the house, doing laundry, washing dishes, and doing other house chores. The fact that they are organized makes life better, and they can handle tasks at any time of the day or night.

In contrast, Dirican, Cüneyt, (568); looks at the effects of robots from a hazardous point of view. He claims that even though robots were meant to complement human beings, they have overpowered their mandate to the point of substituting them. The fact that robots can handle a labor force which requires ten people and the fact they are not paid means that they pose an excellent opportunity for employers to hire a smaller number of people. In addition, they contribute to the loss of jobs and the high rate of unemployment in the society. This is a fact because a single robot that only requires one person to control it can perform a surgery that requires five-to-six surgeons for success to be attained. Also, a single robot can assemble a vehicle to its completion within a day for free, a task that requires more than six mechanical engineers for close to two days. Robots have been proven to operate machinery even better than human beings at times. For example, in the exploration industry, they can even get to the darkest and most dangerous zones, a capability that human beings do not have. This is one of the strongest reasons why robots are perceived as a significant threat.

According to West, Darrell, (10); what happens when robots take jobs that are meant to be carried out by human beings is that social and career life is also affected. The bigger reason is that when a limited number of people are earning, it means that few people contribute to the economy through revenue generation, and also few people get to earn a decent living. For this reason, life is affected because the gap between the poor and the rich continues to widen. Another rationale for this is that the owners of companies and industries would earn more since robots work better than human beings. Business moguls would also pay less since there is a small number of employees' West, Darrell, (12). In conclusion, employers would enjoy a higher profit margin from the application of artificial intelligence at the expense of human labor.

Robots are a perfect demonstration of artificial intelligence, and this software can positively and negatively affect businesses and life. However, from the research, it is evident that human beings cause negative impacts by becoming over-dependent on robots. In the case robots are used for the initial purpose they were designed for, they would not substitute human labor instead complement it. Sadly, many employees consider robots an occupational threat due to their maximized human intelligence and performance. Lastly, the fact that they are not paid or incentivized makes employees observe them human labor substitutes. The effect comes in the sense of loss of employees and economic instability. From these impacts, it is evident that a balance should strike between the use of robots and human labor, for a human being to be complemented by robots and benefit from their artificial intelligence.

Works cited:

Daroga, Ranjeet, and Nishantraj Pandey. "Sixth Sense Technology & Its Applications." International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications (2015).

DeCanio, Stephen J. "Robots and humans–complements or substitutes?." Journal of Macroeconomics 49 (2016): 280-291.

Dirican, Cüneyt. "The impacts of robotics, artificial intelligence on business and economics." Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences 195 (2015): 564-573.

Moniz, António B., and Bettina-Johanna Krings. "Robots working with humans or humans working with robots? Searching for social dimensions in new human-robot interaction in industry." Societies 6.3 (2016): 23.

Smids, Jilles, Sven Nyholm, and Hannah Berkers. "Robots in the Workplace: a Threat to—or Opportunity for—Meaningful Work?." Philosophy & Technology (2019): 1-20.

West, Darrell M. "What happens if robots take the jobs? The impact of emerging technologies on employment and public policy." Centre for Technology Innovation at Brookings, Washington DC (2015).