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From DSC:
With thanks going out to Mr. Steve Knode for his excellent newsletter (his April 2013 Emerging Information Technologies (EIT) newsletter in this case) that pointed this resource out.
Why robots are ready for takeoff –– from cnn.com by Keller Rinaudo
Robot pharmacist fills patient prescriptions — from NBC News by Todd Kenreck
Will robots create new jobs when they take over existing ones? — from technologyreview.com by Tom Simonite
A new class of smarter robots is being readied for the workplace.
Robots and jobs, a nuanced issue — from abb-conversations.com by Per Vegard Nerseth
Judging by some of the headlines around the world it would be easy to conclude that robots are the source of our employment problems. The reality is far more nuanced.
Ability to do creative, non-routine work will be a must in the coming automation era. Is this realistic for most workers? — from robohub.org by Martin Ford
Excerpt:
There can be no doubt that technological progress has resulted in a far more prosperous society. Technology has often disrupted entire industries and, in some cases — as with the mechanization of agriculture — destroyed millions of jobs. In the long run, however, the economy has always adjusted and new jobs have been created, often in entirely new industries. Why then should we be concerned that the revolution in robotics and artificial intelligence will lead to sustained unemployment? I think the answer has to do with the nature the work that most members of our workforce are best equipped to perform.
Technology is eating your job (part 2) — For those who need more convincing — by Michelle Martin
Excerpts:
The reason I’m harping on technology so much is because for most of us, I believe this is a ticking time bomb we are trying to ignore. Most of us want to keep our heads down and just keep working, hoping that we aren’t going to be the ones displaced by a piece of software or some other form of automation.
This will be a mistake. And it will blow up in your face. You need to start thinking now about how to future-proof yourself as much as possible so that you’re more prepared for this breaking wave of technology.
From DSC:
This is truly a troubling subject. I often ask myself the following questions:
Thanks Michelle for the important posting/heads-up!
For some solutions/thoughts here, see Michelle’s posting:
How the internet is making us poor — from qz.com by Christopher Mims
Excerpt:
Everyone knows the story of how robots replaced humans on the factory floor. But in the broader sweep of automation versus labor, a trend with far greater significance for the middle class—in rich countries, at any rate—has been relatively overlooked: the replacement of knowledge workers with software.
Also see:
From DSC:
So…what courses aren’t we teaching in K-12 and in higher ed that we need to be teaching to help our students get prepared for this quickly-changing situation in the workplace? Now? In the near future?
What’s some good career advice (or resources) out there?
Dan Pink’s A Whole New Mind is one resource that comes to mind.
Updated Robotics Roadmap presented to US congress — from robohub.org by Frank Tobe
Excerpt:
Henrik Christensen, the KUKA Chair of Robotics at GA Tech and Chairman of the Roadmap project, Rodney Brooks, CEO of Rethink Robotics, Pete Wurman, CTO of Kiva Systems, and Russ Angold, CTO of Ekso Bionics all presented the new Roadmap to a packed gallery of the Robotics Caucus of the US Congress
The roadmap is here:
Meet the next generation of smartphone-based robot companions — from popsci.com by Miriam Kramer
From DSC:
No doubt that there are positives and negatives to this kind of thing. However, as I’m trying to relay items of interest/impact, I thought I’d post this here.
Attack of the telepresence robots! — from informationweek.com by Rick Lehrbaum, BYTE
From DSC: Note the language/subtitle –> Devices: Bring Your Own Human!
Excerpt:
The growing trend toward telecommuting and outsourcing has driven companies to seek ways for remote workers and teams to communicate and collaborate more efficiently and effectively. This need has inspired a handful of innovative high-tech startups to create a new market: remote telepresence robots.