You press a button, sit back, relax, and the process is completed for you. Automation is one of the very technological concepts which is supposed to make our lives “easier,” but it is really doing the opposite. How so? When machines break down or technology stops working due to blackouts or other natural causes, what will people do? Automation has become so ingrained into human lives that is has various implications and problems for the future of society.
One of the ways automation can lead to the downfall of society is creating too comfortable of an environment. In an article written by Nicholas Cage, he recounted a plane crash resulting from a pilot’s inability to manually pilot it. The plane was “losing lift” during autopilot and the pilot decided to switch over to manual control, but instead of pulling the yoke (plane’s steering wheel) forward, he yanked it back, resulting in the plane’s nose pulling upwards, losing speed, causing the entire plane to plummet out control (The Atlantic, 2013). Although this article was published in 2013, the plane crash occurred in 2009. If the plane crash was due to a pilot’s inability to overcome an unexpected situation, because of automation being so relied upon during aero navigation, then what does that say about today’s society, 10 years after this plane crash?
Automation has gone into far more areas than just airplanes in 2019. More specifically, AI (artificial intelligence) has given way to new forms of automation. For example, Tesla produces automatic, self-driving cars and Alexa from Amazon has created an AI to respond to requests and questions automatically. First, let’s take Tesla’s self-driving capabilities. The Tesla model’s currently (2019) does not have fully-capable auto-pilot features. However, say that in 5–10 years, autopilot will be able to take a person from Point A to Point B without ever touching the steering wheel. At this point in society, are driving tests even necessary anymore? What about learning how to manually drive? Optimists might say that in a world where automation is completely integrated, there will be no need to learn how to manually do anything, because every automated machine and process will be flawless. On the opposite spectrum, skeptics, pessimists, and even realists might argue that not everything will last forever and machines and computers will run into a mistake or be unable to function once in a while. It is during those times when automation leaves society unable to perform manual tasks.
Automation doesn’t have to just include modern technologies that involve AI (artificial intelligence) and self-driving cars. It can also include the more common, household appliances. It is these household appliances which correlate to the rising rates of diabetes. These appliances include: microwaves, laundry machines, dish washers. The microwave was invented in 1946, the first automatic laundry machine in 1937, and the first electric-powered dish washer in 1924. The times of these inventions also coincide with the rising rates of diabetes. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, diabetes began to rise exponentially in the 60’s (CDC, 2017). When looking at the timeline of U.S. history, World War II ended in 1945. Without the need to ration for supplies and stress and consumption of material from the war, people began settling down after the war had ended. The era beyond the war was known as postwar boom, leading to the rich to purchase and consume domestic, household appliances. Eventually, as more and more people began to see the usefulness of these appliances, companies began manufacturing more and the growing demand allowed the common folk to purchase the appliances as well. Appliances such as microwaves led to more frozen food and quick meal consumptions. Laundry machines allowed clothes to be washed while sitting and waiting and dish washers provided the same service. With so much automation already on hand, it gave individuals more time to do other things, such as relax and indulge, leading to an increased population of diabetic and unhealthy individuals.
It isn’t just these automatic household appliances which have led to unhealthy habits and individuals, but the continuing advancement of automation has and will take more from society than just health. It may be noticeable already, but automation has taken over the job industry. What can be automated has pretty much already been. Just take a look at cashier registers, productions facilities, and delivery. Most retail store such as Target, Walmart, etc. have automatic cash registers that allow customers to buy without consulting an employee. In fact, according to an article by Darell M. West, more than 47% of employees will see their jobs become automated within the next 20 years (Brookings, 2018). Of course jobs in leadership positions will still be retained until AI and automation becomes much more advanced.
Automation has become something that has been embedded into our lives. Needless to say, it is becoming more and more advanced and complex by the years. Although it has given us certain conveniences such as automatically heating up food, washing clothes, washing dishes, and driving cars, it has also placed limits on society. To avoid those limits, people must be knowledgeable of how to perform certain tasks, when the automated machines behind those tasks fail. Automation should be something that aids us, not a complete substitution for things we cannot do.
Sources:
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/11/the-great-forgetting/309516/
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/statistics/slides/long_term_trends.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washing_machine#Automatic_machines
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dishwasher
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microwave_oven
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170522-how-automation-will-affect-you-the-experts-view
https://www.qualitymag.com/articles/94801-the-effects-of-automation
