As technology continually replaces jobs in almost every imaginable market – especially labor intensive manufacturing industries – society constantly faces the ethical question of whether or not automation is ultimately a good thing for society as a whole. Do speeding up the pace of production and lowering the cost outweigh the potential harm of increased unemployment that would likely result from near full automation? These aren’t easy questions to answer.
As it turns out, the debate over automation is nothing new. Even 19th Century Luddite textile workers feared the impact of new production “technology” such as spinning frames and power looms that would lower the need for their previously in demand skills. But should the advance of technology be halted to maintain the status of jobs that would be rendered obsolete otherwise? In my opinion, no. While groups like the Luddites may experience temporary issues related to new technology potentially replacing them in the workplace, society as a whole benefits when the free market is allowed to dictate how new technologies are employed. If new technology was prohibited from interfering with already existing job markets, we likely wouldn’t have a variety of modern conveniences and advancements. For example, commercial airplane travel wouldn’t have been allowed to supersede ocean liners and trains as the preferred method of long distance travel. Certainly ship and train companies experienced a decline in passengers and employees as a result of the rise of airplane technology and travel, but society as a whole has benefited from it. While this isn’t a direct correlation to our question of automation, it does exhibit the impact of new technology on a variety of industries and how it can have immediate negative aspects, but ultimately displays a net benefit over time as people adjust to a new normal. Someday, automation itself may even completely replace pilots in the airline industry, but a little immediate discomfort will be worth it for the likelihood of increased safety and other benefits.
In my opinion, people should look at automation as something that frees humans for other endeavors. With less people needed to man steps along an assembly line, more can spend their time creating, inventing, and pushing society forward at an even faster rate. Today’s youth would be wise to plan for an ever more automated future, making decisions on college majors and career paths that reflect this eventuality. This will prepare them for a world with less blue-collar, manufacturing jobs. The people who will be most negatively affected by more automation are those already entrenched in jobs that will be affected. One potential solution that has been proposed is a universal basic income. This idea seems a little too socialistic for many Americans to embrace, but we have to be open to all potential options in a future where there might not be enough jobs to go around. I’m still uncertain how I feel about the idea myself, but it might be worth considering, at least in the interim until society has adapted to increased automation and the workforce has been able to retrain for other roles. One does have to keep in mind that automation won’t be an overnight sensation. As evidenced by our discussion of the Luddites, automation has been an ongoing process for a long time, and thus far, everyone has been able to successfully adapt given enough time. We don’t still see Luddites on the local street corner protesting power looms.
Ultimately, I think automation is a good thing for society. As I touched on at numerous times previously, there will certainly be pain points along the way. But increased automation frees up society for expanded creative and intellectual work beyond the production line and service oriented jobs. I don’t think the developers and utilizers of automation should feel bad for pushing technology forward. Who knows how many diseases we’ll cure or inventions we’ll think up when we aren’t spending our time driving busses or building mass produced cars.
ethicsryanmoran 