Automation: gains and risks

The idea

Automation brings gains such as speed and steady quality, and risks such as changing jobs and one mistake repeated many times, so people must keep checking it.

A machine takes over

A machine takes over a task that people used to do by hand. What is likely to happen?

• The work gets done faster and more evenly
• Some people lose their work
• Both good and bad things happen

Gain or risk?

Sort each example. Is it a gain from automation, or a risk to watch for? Some are tricky, so think about who is affected. Tap a group, read the reason, then press Next card.

Two sides of automation

Gains and risks come from one fact: a machine repeats a task fast, whether the task is right or wrong.

The job card was a risk because no training was offered. Good plans give workers chances to learn new skills, and people keep checking.

Automation gives speed and steady work, but it can change jobs and repeat mistakes fast, so people must keep checking.

Automation can follow fixed rules, like a timer, or use AI that learns from data. These gains and risks apply to both.

Notes

Automation gives speed and steady work, but it can change jobs and repeat mistakes fast, so people must keep checking.

Gains: speed, steady quality, safety. Risks: changing jobs, repeated mistakes, too much trust. The fix for most risks is people who keep checking.

Check yourself

A factory machine is set up with a wrong measurement and keeps running. What is the main danger?

A town's post office starts using machines to sort letters. What is the most sensible response?

An automatic system sorts school-seat applications. A family thinks it made a mistake about them. What should be possible?

• The machine gets tired and works more slowly. Machines do not tire as people do. That is one of the gains of automation.
• The machine finds the error and corrects itself. A simple machine follows its set-up. It cannot find out that a person gave it the wrong measurement.
• It makes the same faulty item again and again — correct. Speed works both ways. A person checking early catches the fault before thousands of faulty items are made.
• Train workers for new tasks, such as running the machines — correct. Jobs change when machines arrive, and training helps people change with them.
• Ban the machines, so that every job stays exactly as it was. That avoids the risks by giving up the gains, like faster delivery. Most places try to manage the change instead.
• Leave it to workers to find new jobs themselves. Some will, but many need support. A good plan helps everyone who is affected.
• The family has to accept it, since a computer made it. A machine can be wrong, so a decision that affects people needs a way to be checked.
• The family can ask a person to review the decision again — correct. Human checking is a safety net. People deserve a way to question a decision about them.
• The family should apply again and hope for a new answer. Trying again does not fix a mistake in the system. A person should look into why it happened.