Will Robots Replace Humans – What Has Changed?

We understand the new episode of the podcast “What has changed?” why robots have long been part of our everyday life, and we still say that they will take over our jobs

Edition guests:

• Sergey Romantsev is a podcast host and tech blogger.
• Alexey Gonnochenko is the director of the Sberbank Robotics Center.
• Alexey Volostnov is a partner at Strategy Partners.

Is it possible to replace all people with robots

Alexey Gonnochenko says that it is necessary to introduce robots where it is cost-effective. Replacing all people in the economy is impossible and does not make sense. The robot, like software, relieves the burden on people and makes the service more accessible, but it does not cover all needs by 100%.

According to Alexey Volostnov, people are afraid in areas where automation is possible. The robot can push them to the sidelines of progress. Somewhere this fear can be explained: as robots become more advanced, and their cost decreases, the number of areas where they can be applied expands. Such rational fear accompanies irrational fear. For example, rovers that drive down the street will not soon replace couriers – an accessible environment must be created for them and many technical and infrastructural problems must be solved.

Is it possible to retrain to control a robot

There are no centralized programs in our country, it is too specialized and narrow market. Nevertheless, you can get a job at Yandex or Sber as a drone tester or a remote operator. This does not require a serious professional education, but it requires a certain desire to learn new skills, you can retrain even at 40 years old.

The entry threshold for development is constantly decreasing, because there are a large number of tasks associated with not the most difficult research challenges. You can gain experience on freelance platforms – the question is motivation and willingness to rack your brains.

Should we be afraid of technological unemployment?

Man evolves with technology. Technology should be treated like a tool. Aleksey Volostnov gives a classic example of an online translator: automated translation has become not a replacement for translators, but their additional tool to reduce labor costs.

Technology is reshaping the labor market. Reducing people has never been the main driver of technology adoption. The main driver is to increase the efficiency of processes. Aleksey Gonnochenko gave an example of telephonists: in the 60s, owning a telephone was a luxury item. With the advent of mobile phones, a lot of jobs that serve phones have disappeared. Some of the telephone operators switched to technical support and other forms of communication services.

The main question in the introduction of new technologies is where will the jobs that create these technologies be created? If we use Western technologies, jobs are created there. If we want to get the most out of the technological transformation of any industry, we need to support our own developers.

By automating processes, on the one hand, we remove one workplace, but on the other hand, we create jobs for those who should develop and maintain this system. And as a rule, these are more technologically advanced and higher paid places. For the economy, this is definitely a plus.

What personnel are needed in the sectors of the new economy

There are not enough personnel for the new economy in our country. Companies that do not have enough staff begin to cooperate with universities, organize their own departments and corporate universities. This is done in order to support the educational process in those sectors where the state has not yet had time to react. Demand was formed not so long ago, and fundamental education reacts to new needs longer.

A modern person is forced to study all his life, broaden his horizons and confirm his qualifications. The world is changing much faster than even 20 years ago. The knowledge that a person had at the exit from the university five years ago becomes obsolete faster. A person will have to constantly learn, the employer will have to constantly invest in the education of their employees, and the state will have to adapt educational programs and make them more mobile.

Alexey Gonnochenko believes that techno-unemployment is impossible, because we do not know what professions will be tomorrow. We cannot say what society will transform into in 10-20 years, what new ways of communication and services will appear. As long as there are people, there will be demand for the services of other people.

Why can’t we completely abandon manual labor

According to Alexei Volostnov, some industries require a lot of nuances of human process tuning: brewed coffee, assembly of watches or expensive cars. Such tasks require high-quality manual labor, which the robot cannot repeat. The machine is suitable for simple automated tasks. For example, now there are a lot of welding robots. But for welding in difficult conditions, for example, under water, a person will work.

A key factor for introducing a robot is a controlled environment. As artificial intelligence develops, it becomes possible to adapt the robot to changes. But at the same time, robots are not able to transfer the accumulated experience from one task to another. If he learned to use some pliers, then he will not be able to use others, he will have to teach him again.

Are there opponents of technological progress in the XNUMXst century?

People still have fears and fears for their basic needs. There are certain areas where people deny technological progress. Making a person look at the task differently, use new tools is a big task. People resist the introduction of new technologies, they do not understand them. The rational problem is to learn something new – to transfer to the irrational plane.

Most of the population is accustomed to progress. New technologies are introduced very often, so we experience less resistance.

What to learn now so as not to fall under the automation rink in the future

According to Alexey Gonnochenko, it is important how responsibly you will study and how much you will study beyond what is taught at the university. If you want to be at the cutting edge of progress, you need to master 2-3 times more materials.

Robotics and programming are very broad fields that include dozens of specializations. It is important to learn foreign languages ​​in order to read technical literature in the original source and be included in the world environment.

Four tips for learning robotics better:

• Nothing can be learned in theory, it needs practice.
• If you want to learn how to make robots, do it. The most simple, even comical and stupid. Gain experience.
• Don’t shut yourself up.
• Participate in challenges, competitions, contests. This will help you look at your level in comparison with other competitors and get achievements that can be shown to the employer.