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Global forecasting and quantitative analysis firm have released a new report that predicts robotic machines will displace about 20 million manufacturing jobs across the world over the next decade.

Robots Replacing 20 million Manufacturing Jobs

Robots are becoming more and more effective at performing tasks that were formerly relied upon individual hands.

This robotic revolution has been propelled by technological advances in automation engineering, technology, energy storage, AI and machine learning.

Already, the amount of robots in use globally multiplied three-fold over the previous two years, to 2.25 million.

Trends imply the international inventory of robots will grow faster in the next 20 decades, reaching as many as 20 million by 2030, with 14 million in China alone.

This growth will be hard for authorities and policy-makers since it will affect the market, the workplace, and society.

As a consequence of robotization, thousands of jobs will be lost, particularly in poorer local markets which rely on lower-skilled employees.

This may, therefore, translate to a rise in earnings inequality. On the other hand, the growth of robots are also beneficial concerning economic and product development, resulting in the production of new occupations.

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How Robots Change the World

§ The robotics revolution is rapidly accelerating as technological advances transform what robots can do, and their ability to take over human tasks.

§ The number of industrial robots in use tripled over the past two decades. It is set to multiply nearly 10-fold to 20m by 2030. Robot use in services is also accelerating, boosted by AI.

§ Productivity and growth will be boosted, but up to 20m manufacturing jobs are set to be lost by 2030. Negative effects hit lower-skilled workers and poorer regions hardest, aggravating social and economic stresses, and posing daunting policy challenges.

 

The AI Paradox – How Robots Are Making Work More Human

During the next ten years, a fantastic wave of technological change will clean throughout the market, changing the character of the form of the labour marketplace.

Oxford Economics collaborated with Cisco to examine the consequences of the trends on projects during the next ten years. The outcomes derive from a brand new, multi-layered modeling framework, which enables Cisco to mimic the real-world character of technological change and its interaction with the world of work.

They discovered that 6.5 million US employees might need to seek a new profession during the next ten years. Employees in transportation, lower-level production, and agriculture tasks will probably confront a challenging moment.

They view new jobs emerging in different regions, such as computing, management, and press, in addition to healthcare and earnings.

The Oxford Economics Skills Matching Model is used to simulate the job-moves employees will make in reaction to a change in the character of work. What emerges are indications that the US is confronting a substantial reskilling challenge.

There’s an intense ICT skills shortfall to conquer and, paradoxically, as technology becomes more able it’s”human abilities” that explain a lot of the difference between the current workforce and the requirements of the future.

Since 2010, the global stock of robots in the industry has more than doubled: as many robots were installed in the past four years as over the eight previous.

 

In this introduction to robotics, we take a look at what robots are, how they’re currently used, and how they might shape the world in the future.

When we think of robots, we might imagine sci-fi inspired, human-like automatons. While these types of machines are still mostly still fictional, there are many other types of robots operating in the world today. But what are robots? And how will they change the world?

Here, we explore the history and types of robots, some pros and cons of using them, and how they might shape the future. We’ll also outline some of the skills you’ll need to get started with robotics and highlight some courses to help you build your skills.

 

What are robots?

Let’s start with some definitions. Most of us are familiar with the concept of robots but may struggle to actually define them as a separate entity from other types of machines.

As we explore in our open step on the nature of robots, robots are different from other machines because of how they interact with the world. They can make changes to their surroundings based on their actions and respond to the world around them.

A more detailed definition explains that:

‘Robotic systems can be defined as interconnected, interactive, cognitive and physical tools that are able to perceive the environment using sensors, reason about events, make plans using algorithms implemented in computer programs, and perform actions enabled by actuators’.

Robots are tools that can autonomously sense, reason, plan, and action. As well as performing tasks independently, they can also extend human capabilities, and mimic human actions. Ultimately, the word robot is derived from the Czech word robota, meaning forced labour.

 

What is robotics?

Robotics is the discipline of creating robots. It’s a multidisciplinary field where computer science, engineering, and technology all meet. Those working in robotics focus on the design, construction, operation, and use of robots in a host of different settings.

Traditionally, the field of robotics centres on creating robots to perform simple or repetitive tasks at scale or to function in hazardous conditions where humans would otherwise be unable to work.

However, recent developments in machine learning and artificial intelligence means that we may see an increase in human-to-robot interactions in the future.

The robotics industry is expected to grow significantly over the coming years. Estimates suggest that the sector could be worth as much as $260 billion by 2030. Much of this growth will come from professional services robots that perform useful tasks for humans, such as cleaning, delivering, and transporting.

For those looking to get a more thorough introduction to robotics, our online course from the University of Reading explores the history, anatomy and intelligence of robots.