Apart from doing repetitive work, can robots think as well? The answer should be easy, as artificial intelligence is the buzzword now: We already have a smiling robot that can comfort people and software that can drive cars.
Now, answer this: Can robots understand emotions? If that's a tough one, read the report on techtimes.com on Wednesday: IBM's Watson, a supercomputer that could compete with humans on the quiz show Jeopardy!, and beat them, has just received a significant upgrade that can detect a multitude of emotions in your writing, including sadness and joy. This means that once you tell somebody that you are okay when you are really sad, the technology is now able to detect your true emotion. IBM is also offering a text-to-speech engine, which provides responses in a correct tone. When callers are angry, for example, the engine will not answer back in an upbeat voice.
Think about the impact this would have on the future workforce. A large number of health care, travel and insurance services companies are already using this for one simple reason: A call centre using Watson gets the caller to the right solution more quickly and makes for a less frustrating consumer experience.
India has been slow in warming up to robots - only 2,500 robots were bought by Indian companies in 2014 compared to around 60,000 in China, the world's largest buyer. But the trend is obvious. As prices of these robots slide with more usage, India's market for robots used in the workplace is expected to surge. A Bank of America Merrill Lynch study has set the tone by saying that several countries are approaching the crucial inflection point when it would be 15 per cent cheaper to use a robot than to employ a human worker.
The use of robots in India is restricted so far to automobile companies - Ford's Sanand plant has around 500 robots compared to 2,500 manual workers, Hyundai India's plant in Sriperumbudur has around 400 compared to 5,000 workers and Volkwagen's Chakan plant has at least 125 robots and more than 2,000 workers. Other automobile companies such as General Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra have also started automating their plants in a small way - which means robots have started doing a significant portion of functions such as welding and foundry operations at modern car plants in the country. Several auto parts makers supplying to these factories have also started "employing" robots for two reasons: one, they have to catch up with the speed and perfection of work; two, they don't want to expand permanent staff.
Several other Indian companies may still take time to go in for a large number of robots at their plants, but all global manufacturing firms intending to set up big plants in the country will surely opt for them. This could aggravate the problems for the 13 million people or so, who enter the workforce every year in India. In any case, even now, most of them do not get any meaningful jobs because of their low skill levels.
The fear is real. The 300-page BankAm report outlining the opportunities for investors in robotics and artificial intelligence says robots are expected to perform 45 per cent of manufacturing tasks worldwide by 2025, up from around 10 per cent now. South Korea is currently in the lead with 44 industrial robots per 1,000 employees in the manufacturing industry, followed by Japan and Germany.
Many experts, however, say those fears are misplaced, because although robots will replace humans in many industries, they will also likely free people from performing menial and repetitive tasks. There have always been fears of mass destitution with each sudden shift in technology, but the so-called losers have eventually been absorbed back into new industries. Also, research from the McKinsey Global Institute has concluded that, indeed, the application of these technologies will force millions of workers to acquire new skills, as the jobs they perform are rendered obsolete. Yet, rapid advancements in the same technologies will create new opportunities for millions of workers, including many less-skilled ones.
McKinsey may be correct in its conclusion from a global perspective, but in a country where even a large number of "qualified engineers" are considered unemployable by industry, who will give them the new skills required in a rapidly automated environment?
Disclaimer: These are personal views of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of www.business-standard.com or the Business Standard newspaper
