What impact do robots and automation have on the job market? Second Stephen La Rovere, director of robotics and AI at Amazon, the idea that technology takes away jobs is a myth that needs to be debunked. In an exclusive interview on CNBC, the top manager argues that innovation is actually improving people's roles and opening up new career opportunities. I propose it to you, then everyone can form their own opinion.
Technology empowers workers
“It's a myth that technology and robots take away jobs,” La Rovere said. Instead of replacing people, he says advanced robotics, artificial intelligence and other technologies are enhancing workers' roles. Where have I heard this concept before?
Robots and technology help our employees by reducing the distance they travel between tasks, eliminating repetitive motions or helping them lift heavy weights.
This "enhancement" process, explains the Abruzzo manager, allows employees to acquire new skills and abilities. And it opens the way to new career prospects. “In turn, our employees can learn new skills, acquire new competencies that allow them to progress towards their professional goals,” he adds.
700 new job categories thanks to technology
Not only does technology not eliminate jobs, according to La Rovere, but it creates new ones. “In recent years, the use of technology has created more than 700 new job categories.” boom. Of course, reading this data is surprising. However, he cites one example above all: the team led by him, Amazon's robotics and AI division, which is responsible for bringing automation to the vast network of distribution centers responsible for packing and shipping orders to customers.
Amazon has installed more than 1.000 new technologies across its European distribution center network over the past five years, for a total investment of more than €700 million ($751 million). Thanks to these innovations, the e-commerce giant claims to have boosted more than 50.000 jobs in its distribution centers in Europe. Yes, but have jobs increased? It's not clear to me. While on the one hand, in the last 5 years, the growth has been palpable (I think so to the “Italian Plan” implemented by the Seattle company), on the other in the last few years Bezos' company he's already done it almost 30.000 jobs. In other words: it depends on your point of view: someone can say that there is growth, someone else can say that coincidentally, in recent years (with greater robot development and AI) jobs stagnate. In fact, perhaps they are decreasing. Posterity will judge?
Jobs and automation: a paradigm shift?
La Rovere's statements challenge the dominant narrative that automation and robotics are destined to replace human labor. Instead of seeing technology as a threat, the Amazon executive presents it as an opportunity to improve working conditions, develop new skills and create new roles. I don't know how to interpret his words, but I feel like saying that I stand by my convictions: the perspective is not to count how many "human" jobs there are or will be. All human beings “work”: apart from those who cannot do so, every soul on this earth can engage in physical or mental activity. The point is what these activities are for. And where they are concentrated.
Open parenthesis. In the field of logistics, where Amazon acts as “King of the Castle”, I doubt that automation will dramatically multiply jobs. Of course, new professions will emerge. Robot maintenance, delivery drone management and other skills that don't even exist today will employ a lot of people. The future in "numerical" terms, however, is still to be written. And I would focus more on the people's needs than on their obligations. On the distribution of wealth which, and this is a fact, is accumulating more and more in the hands of a few, so much so a possible “Neo feudalism” where the new nobles are the mega corporations. Closed brackets.
In a rapidly evolving world where technological innovation is redefining the work landscape, Amazon's vision offers an alternative, more optimistic perspective. I'd say protopic. Instead of fearing automation, perhaps we should embrace the possibilities it offers: lightening burdensome tasks, unleashing workers' potential, and opening up new career paths.
If we are able to seize these opportunities, the collaboration between man and machine it could prove to be a positive force for the future of work. But that's not all, and it won't be enough: the construction of the future must be done around man, let's never forget that.
