Automation and the Human Factor
Automation will be responsible for some of the greatest changes in our way of life. However, I feel that some consequences need to be discussed.
First there is the most obvious one: loss of jobs. Automation will impact minimum wage workers more than anything else. In an ideal society, or at least one without capitalism, this would be a good thing. Less jobs to be done would mean more time for people to explore sports, the arts, and whatever else they enjoy. Instead, many people will end up on the streets because they have no money, and there are no more jobs that don't require higher education (which they can't afford to get, because they've lost their job).
A less discussed consequence has to do with the loss of the Human Factor. When you're ten cents short of being able to pay for your groceries, many cashiers will tell you that's fine, don't worry about it. When my meds come out to more money than usual, a pharmacy assistant will look at my payment history, and change the price to match it. These are things that machines don't do, but many humans will. This is why we need the human factor.
In conclusion, while technological advancement is typically a good thing, our capitalist system ensures that progress in this field will hurt the working class. It will leave many without the money to afford basic human needs, and will remove compassion as a factor in interactions. Automation is not the problem; capitalism is the problem. But as long as we live under capitalism, we have to be mindful of just how much we're willing to let automation replace workers.
