There is an array of jobs that have become obsolete due to extensive automatization and technological advancements. Warehouse workers are replaced by robots that can move goods and heavy packages faster. Factory robots in the car manufacturing industry replaced people on assembly lines. Customer service has moved online where automated recordings and pre-programmed procedures consult clients twenty-four hours a day. However, the social sphere still requires the presence of people who can execute a personalized approach. I reckon that professional medical doctors and nurses, unlike robots, are able to find an individual approach to every patient in an emergency. It has become evident that it is difficult to control the speed of changes. Therefore, it is necessary to assess which areas still require human management and control.
There is no doubt that robots can be assigned to do jobs that are beyond the capacity of the human brain. For example, as their attention span is not limited, they can ceaselessly investigate the CAT scan for cancer cells (Kelly, 2012). However, it does not mean that there will not be any job left for human beings. The nature of work is going to be transformed so that people will have a chance to unleash their creativity (McAfee, 2013). Everybody can become an innovator, artist, or creator because the drudgery will be gone. These creative possibilities may improve the quality of social life and enhance connections between people. Therefore, the technological advancement is a good thing for social progress and human development.
Most of the societal implications brought by technological shifts will be related to education. Educational systems need to become more flexible in teaching children the set of skills that will allow them to adapt. Consequently, people from all socio-economic levels should have access to educational opportunities to be competitive in the labor market. People across the globe will start learning how to co-exist with robots, finding new niches and tasks.
References
Kelly, K. (2012). Better than human: Why robots will — and must — take our jobs. Web.
McAfee, A. (2013). What will future jobs look like? Web.