How can robots and automation increase employment?

Thousands of people jobless due to computers.
Now, millions of people jobless due to robots.
Sounds harsh, right?
Also disagreeable due to the computer scenario being not so bad.

There is also a News Report by Bloomberg that 200,000 jobs in banking are at loss due to robots in the next decade (2020-2030) - Link

Well, how did we handle the computer revolution? By helping every person of any age to get accustomed to the computers. Many countries now have IT (Information technology) as a mandatory subject in their school and colleges. Many workplaces try to provide basic computer training to their employees free of cost, as a long term investment into their business because when nobody fires a senior experienced employee to get a tech savvy novice having zero experience fresh off the college.

Now, with increasing penetration of technology, I think it will make non-tech people irrelevant. While finding a finance job, now with accounting knowledge, you need technical knowledge too, for some Financial positions which require you to operate in a computerized accounting and ERP environment. Even some companies only prefer to hire engineers to make things easier for them. Some companies love the killer combo of an Engineering Bachelors Degree Holder with an MBA in Finance. Some companies even demand basic programming experience/knowledge from their Financial Analysts!

Okay okay, before this blog goes off topic, let me get straight to the point.

Now, when robots actually start replacing people at work. We would need people to make those robots or at least maintain the factories which make the robots and servicing the robots.
Elders and kids find it easy to use smartphones now, so we have to try and make robotics, programming and automation, easy to learn so that entry level jobs are available to the majority of public. A proper Engineering Degree will still be a valuable asset but for senior or expert level positions.

So, we will need to add basic yet mandatory robotics and automation to the school syllabus.
Also, those who are made obsolete should be given a short training in robotics before they join a new job at a factory. Those who can't handle the complexity of the study, will have the usual jobs at the robotics factories of customer service, HR, marketing etc.
Computer literacy will need to be upgraded to robotics and automation literacy. Like Mr Bill Gates once said that learning some computer programming is always a good thing. A quote from Mr Gates taken from CNBC- Gates still believes that "everyone can benefit from learning the basics of computer science. The questions it teaches you to ask — How do you accomplish a task? Can you find a pattern? What data do you need? — are useful no matter where you go in life."- Source- CNBC.com Article

Modern day companies like Valve encourage anyone to join the company but expect their employees to at least try to learn computer coding and programming.

So, the automation can create more jobs than it eats up, just like how computer has created the IT, KPO, BPO, ITES, Gaming, Digital art, VFX, Graphics designing, Motion capturing, VR, Data Science, Analytics etc. industries.

The implementation of technology needs to be accompanied by change management which helps to make people skilled to adapt to the changed working environment. The robotics & A.I. has emerged as a new field of study now.

Thank you for reading. Please do share this with others and hopefully a visionary person with the right skill, plan and resources can read this so that the future of humanity will be a better one. Hmm, maybe that person is you...? You never know what the future holds!

On a lighter note, here's funny and well made 'Robots' movie about robots and how even a robot has to struggle to find the right career:-

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Please comment or mail at darshd555@gmail.com for any feedback or suggestions. This text can be published or reused with my permission or  at least by mentioning of my Pen name (DarshD) and providing a link to this blog. So, feel free to share or include in your textbooks. Also, consult your financial adviser, family and lawyer before making any big financial changes or big financial decisions :)