The world's economy no longer depends solely on human labor. Computers and robots have replaced many jobs; their implementation and the development of software will only increase since our knowledge and abilities concerning technology will broaden with time. Clearly, the increasing importance of technology for the economy also affects employment. Some people are afraid that technology will eventually take over the world, while others argue that this is a scenario that is very unlikely. The argument that there will be an increasing demand for information technology (IT) professionals is often used to refute the claim that all our jobs will be taken over by machines. The effects that the implementation of our cognitive abilities into machines has on employment, as far as history has shown, will be discussed in this essay as well as how this is likely to continue.
Implementing our Cognitive Abilities into Machines.
There are different degrees of this implementation. Automation is how people often refer to this phenomenon, but in fact there is a clear distinction to be made between automation and mechanization. Knowing the difference between these two kinds of implementation will make it easier to explain how employment is affected. The definition of mechanization is "to provide with mechanical power " (Merriam-Webster.com.). This means that by using equipment a job is then made more time- and labour efficient. Human assistance is still needed to operate the equipment, so mechanization does not replace human labour. The tractor is a good example of mechanization. Tractors allow workers to make their work less physically demanding and can be time-efficient as well while it still requires human assistance in order to get the job done. A step further than mechanization is automation. Automation is characterized by "automatically controlled operation of an apparatus, process, or system by mechanical or electronic devices that take the place of human labour " (Merriam-Webster.