It's time to dispel the myths of automation

Automation is a topic on which most people have an opinion. The level of knowledge on the subject varies greatly, as does the amount of fear that people feel towards the technological revolution that is taking place.

I get the impression that even informed writers - including myself - in this field often take, for numerous reasons, convenient short-cuts when it comes to writing and talking about automation.

It is therefore time to address the abundance of factors that are influencing and will continue to influence how humanity moves forward with automation. It is an intertwined and complex network of factors that allow for multiple outcomes. This article will shine the light on a selection of these parameters.

We tend to mostly focus on the automation of labour, since we are dependent on the wages we earn and are concerned about potential job losses, the rule of robots and a universal basic income.

Even though labour is highly important, automation should be seen more broadly, since automation can and currently does permeate our private lives, how we communicate, where we eat, what we buy, whom we date, which party we choose at an election and much, much more. Thus, automation should be discussed in a more holistic sense, addressing the economic, environmental, political, ethical, cultural, legal and social dimensions. So far, this happens only on the fringe.

Currently, Artificial Intelligence (AI), the intelligence enabler for robots, is rather narrow (some might argue limited), which is why automation is very nuanced and focused on certain tasks. Yet, in the future, AI is likely to develop more general capabilities, which will translate into multidisciplinary robotic labour and more software solutions with human-like reasoning. This development is accelerated by other fields of research such as sensor technologies, super-computing, neuroscience, 3D-printing or the usage of new materials such as graphene.

The goal is to automate a diverse set of tasks, which will - in theory - benefit us. Currently, the focus is on automating numerically complex and monotonous, repetitive tasks. Yet, if AI would allow it, this spectrum would certainly be extended. Technological possibility and legal boundaries are hence the true limitations.

A corporate’s motivation lies within scalability, higher profits, less man-made failures and less regulation (AI doesn’t form unions, at least for now). Humanity’s motivation lies within avoiding certain arduous tasks (like developing a trading strategy in a volatile stock-market), enhancing decision processes (optimal time for harvesting a crop) or, in some cases, to outsource responsibility (autonomous driving).

It is not just technological feasibility that influences automation. There is a much longer list of parameters, including costs and regulation, that need to be considered.

In addition to these parameters, there are further variables influencing the future of automation, such as culture, religion, the environment, energy, data storage, and others. Some of them are industry specific, people-driven, or of social, economic or of an environmental nature. Furthermore, we have to recognize that automation, or for that matter, any technological development, is not deterministic, but influenced by every human being.

On the one hand we need a new, unprecedented level of transparency and knowledge-based discussion, addressing the aforementioned points and beyond. On the other hand, it is vital that we acknowledge that not everyone will want and be able to participate in a constructive discourse. Despite this fact, corporations, academia and governments should openly communicate their visions for our future and any technological developments in a relatable manner. Then each individual can decide for her- or himself how much of an automated life she or he really wants.