Preparing for Automation The possibility of having robots or mechanical assistants completing our laborious, dangerous, or repetitive day-to-day tasks has long been a dream of humanity. Now, as Robotic Process Automation (RPA) becomes commonplace, this dream - or concern, depending on viewpoint -is getting closer. RPA, far from the walking, talking android commonly found in science fiction series, can be thought of as a programmable piece of software which, through using a series of rules, will complete repetitive tasks with a lower error rate and less interruption than a human completing the same tasks. The aim of RPA, beyond improving efficiency, is to free up humans from the monotony of roles like data entry, stock management and predictable physical work, to focus on more critical, unpredictable tasks such as decision making, interpreting, and delivering insight to customers. Ask any expert and you can almost guarantee that they will inform you that years of data reliably point to the conclusion that automation has always created more jobs than it has removed. The invention of the plough has allowed us to stop working on farms and technology has continued in this fashion, boosting productivity and, in turn, providing greater work satisfaction and improved living standards. It is currently estimated that 3% of roles could be entirely automated using the technology we have available to us now. By 2025 this will have risen to around 35%, by 2030 it will be at 50% and by 2080 scientists are predicting advanced artificial intelligence (Al) technologies will have replaced 85% of current jobs. A more astonishing figure is the 42% of roles which could be made more efficient, more productive, and more enjoyable through automating individual tasks within the wider role. This is not spread evenly across industries, however - certain industries, like waste management, an industry with a $50 billion salary bill in Australia, where many humans are currently paid 'hazard pay to do dangerous but repetitive tasks, is seen as the Australian industry with the highest potential for automation. As we begin to enter this Fourth Industrial Revolution, it is becoming apparent that there is a separation of organisations into two clear groups: those who are using basic digitisation to support their business, and those who have re-examined the way they do business and integrated combinations of technologies, including RPA, to great effect. So, should we run for the hills or turn and embrace RPA? The answer is not clear but, looking at those who have benefitted from this technology already, preparation for automation will be key. "By 2080 scientists are predicting advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies will have replaced 85% of current jobs" The Human Element Posted on December 11th, 2020 | 0 comments The rise of automation has been hailed as the solution to all of society's ills by the tech elite. By removing the 'human element' from the job, the thinking goes, we can produce more, faster, better and cheaper. The problem with this is that the 'human element' here is, well, human. By removing people from these roles, we are looking at creating de-employment on a massive scale. There is little we can do to stop the advance of this technology and it is all coming at too quick a pace for regulators to account for. We already see evidence of a lack of opportunity to work in our society. People working in Australia are now working an average 20.3 hours a week when holidays are taken into account. They are earning an average of $1713 a week. Australia currently has an unemployment rate of 4.6 % with 636700 people currently unemployed. Tech analysts are predicting that we will lose 50% of current jobs in the next 7 or 8 years. Population increases year on year of 0.8% will further compound this issue. All of this leads one to ask, what will people do for work in an automated future? So, what will a post-automation society look like? By separating capital generation completely from labour, we are set to embark on an age of mass unemployment, the likes of which we have never seen. Mass unemployment is likely to create large proportions of our society without a productive outlet or sense of identity, as well as widening the gap between rich and poor. This future could be a very bleak one indeed. People working in Australia are now working an average 20.3 hours a week when holidays are taken into account Analysts predict that 50% of current jobs will be lost in the next 7 to 8 years Australia currently has an unemployment rate of 4.6 % with 636700 people currently unemployed Australia's average weekly earning is $1713 Robotic Process Automation - Where does it fit in? (Automated Processing Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Used for rules-based, simple, repetitive processes Encourages: Faster handling time Higher volumes Reduced errors and costs Text Generation and Learning Natural Language Generation (NLG) Used for converting data into natural language text Used in: Generating form letters and creating stories based on data Higher-Level Thinking Intelligent 'Chat-Bots' Automates interactions online Encourages: Learning from individual customers Used in: Retail Unstructured Data Conversion Asks questions to find patterns in data and converts the unstructured into structured Encourages: Greater data mining Work with unusual forms of data Used in: Converting emails, contracts and receipts into structured data Machine Learning Learns from cause and effect analysis Encourages: Forecasting Decision making Used in: Financial forecasting Intelligent Assistance Learns from stimuli as new scenarios are presented Encourages: . Additional consultation Used in: Medical diagnosis 60% 40% 20% 0% Likelihood of industries becoming automated in the future Proportion of jobs and their risk of automation. Note: the graph shows a linear decrease in the proportion of jobs at risk of full automation. LLL...... Waste Transportation Manufacturing Retail Administration Finance and Management and Storage Insurance Electricity and Gas Other Technical feasibility of job automation Likelihood of automating job tasks Predictable Physical Work Data Processing Data Collection Unpredictable Physical Work Stakeholder Interactions Applying Expertise with Clients Managing Others 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 55% 60% 65% 70% 75% 80% How does the average Waste Management annual salary compare with that of Australia as a whole? a. Waste management between $26,000 and $30,000 less than average b. Waste management between $31,000 and $35,000 less than average c. Waste management between $36,000 and $40,000 less than average d. Waste management between $41,000 and $45,000 less than average Waste management between $46,000 and $50,000 less than average aj