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Robotics 'a creator not destroyer of jobs'

Monday 10 July 2017

ROBOTICS is not a threat to jobs in the North West but actually a job creator, according to Dr Steve Davis, lecturer in lecturer in manufacturing, automation and robotics.

As a growing number of North West businesses turn to machines to support their workforces, artificial intelligence and automation are becoming mainstream in many sectors of the economy.

“We shouldn’t see robotics as a threat to jobs,” Dr Davis told a panel of experts debating the pitfalls and possibilities of AI: “It’s about finding ways that AI can help businesses grow and evolve.

“We have seen it before with the Industrial revolution but also with the computer. It replaced the typewriter in many instances but that didn’t result in mass unemployment – we all have different skills now.”

Upskilling 

And Steve says the reason for his optimism is the upskilling robotics allows: “New technology needs people to support it – for all of the unskilled jobs it puts under threat, we’re creating new ones in manufacturing, tech support and programming.

Steve, who works closely with the food industry, developing automation and so called ‘soft-robots’ which can handle fragile objects such as fruit and vegetables, adds: “A lot of companies were outsourcing work, but embracing automation has actually helped them save jobs. They need to make sure there are people on site who can deliver and provide maintenance for these technologies.

The round table, which featured Glyn Powditch, chief technology officer for Dream Agility, Neil Mort, director of CBRE, and John Flint a partner in law firm Clarke Willmott, was organised by Move Commercial.

Dr Davis predicted that sectors like the creative industries would see little impact yet: “I don’t think any of the creative industries will be using this tech on a significant scale any time soon. Innovation is not what AI does; it’s good at solving specific problems through set procedures but thinking outside the box is not its’ strong point.”