Advantages of Increasing Automation in the Modern World

Automation is not on the way - it’s already here. Recent advances in a plethora of fields have already affected personal lives, transportation, and business processes, and there’s more progress coming down the track.

Automation and Automobiles

Perhaps the single biggest way that automation might revolutionize the world of the everyday person is with the much-discussed possibility of self-driving cars. This technology is something that multiple major firms are seeking to perfect, and while advances have been made in recent years fully functional models ready for the real world remain some way off.

There are some potential drawbacks. A minority simply enjoy the act of driving, and it remains to be seen whether this will still be possible or be gradually phased out by technology. A bigger flaw is psychological. At the moment it seems likely that self-driving cars will still require a competent and licensed driver ready to step in at a moment’s notice, which means that an individual will still have to pay total attention to the road but not actually do anything. And yet, said individual will be expected to be ready to intervene immediately in a high-stress situation. Ramping up safety measures may be one way to reduce or eliminate this significant drawback.

However, the benefits are enormous if the tech can be made to work. Safety procedures that are implemented instantly by AI that will never suffer a panic attack or freeze in shock will make the roads less dangerous than ever. Owning a car may become more akin to having a personal taxi, enabling those within to enjoy a drink or two. Traffic flow is not the coolest subject in the world, but by improving efficiency due to a lack of needless braking and selfish driver behavior, thousands of hours every day can be saved and used either productively at work or relaxing at home.

There are clearly many advantages to be derived from self-driving cars. While drunk driving has been drastically reduced in recent decades thanks not only to legislation but a cultural change that has generally made the act unacceptable, it does still happen. Once automobiles are on automatic pilot, this will no longer be a problem and help save significant numbers of people from death and injury. Computers can handle some complex tasks astonishingly well, yet struggle with seemingly straightforward things, and with the technology still in development, it remains to be seen how quickly the car that drives itself will turn from sci-fi fantasy into everyday reality.

Not only that, but self-driving opens up the possibility of an AI motorsport series that would not need to account for human safety in the same way as Formula 1 or NASCAR, and which could see the AI software alongside aerodynamics and engine power be a key factor in achieving success. But how will the fans respond to such a sport is uncertain. Especially the fans that drink too much during matches and like sports betting. These are likely to be the most vocal ones in expressing their opinion about this new AI-driven sport.

Business Automation

The world of business is no stranger to rapid change, from the formation of the first factories to the sudden shift from the office to working from home when the first COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns were imposed. Already, more than three in 10 firms have at least some part of their business automated and this figure is only going to increase.

In addition to the obvious steps of adding useful devices and machines to the office, automation is more and more involved in process and workflow automation software, which can save significant sums of money. This is particularly important for new businesses and when black swan events (such as the first global pandemic in a century) occur and survival of the fittest becomes a very real concern.

Humans and Machines Together

There’s long been a fear that advances in technology, while economically advantageous, can prove detrimental to ordinary workers or even society in general. The etymology of the word ‘sabotage’, after all, derives from the French word for shoe (sabot) meaning to give a kicking or otherwise destroy machinery. However, it will be noted that the world generally has been improved by technology, which made goods far more affordable as time went by. Robots and automated processes can do lots of things more effectively than people, but human beings are unbeatable in the fields of creativity, intuition, and thinking outside the box. By harnessing the chariot of business to the twin horses of automated efficiency and human creativity, the best results will be achieved.

 According to Forbes  the interest in conversational AI, machine learning, and, as ever, improved hardware will enable workers at home to complete tasks that previously required a presence in the office. The IDC (News - Alert) has also predicted that by the mid-2020s half of knowledge workers will have their own AI-enhanced robot assistant to support the collation of data, prioritization of tasks, and handle the sort of boring yet important repetitive work that previously made a working day very tedious for a human.

Smart Home Automation

It isn’t only in the fields of transport and business that automation is developing rapidly. The so-called Internet of Things is helping to create a more connected and automated home for those who want their devices to be more accessible digitally. Some of these can be somewhere between frivolous and convenient, depending on your perspective, such as online kettles that you can boil just before you get home and online fridges that self-order staples that are running low.

However, for many people the big advantage of online connectivity at home comes in the form of security. Automatically activated cameras by the front door alert homeowners when packages are delivered, or if someone nefarious is up to no good. Couple that with an online speaker and you can scare off a would-be burglar thanks to a straightforward and very useful device.

Smart lights are another possibility that can cut down on energy usage, so whether your main concern is cutting down power consumption or reducing household bills they’re good. Smart thermostats combine the energy-saving potential of smart lights with the online convenience of automatic front door security, so you can turn the thermostat back up when you’re about to get home (or turn it on if you’re on holiday and happen to notice freezing temperatures are on the way and you want to avoid risking burst pipes).

People should always be aware of the potential drawbacks of technology as well as the opportunities that arise, but on the whole new tech has made life simpler, more convenient, and sometimes even opened up entirely new avenues of leisure and business. Automation has already started to improve things for individuals and firms, and that’s only going to continue.