Automation is not a four-letter word and it’s not something to curse.
Automation is, in fact, a 10-letter word that has been at the forefront of progress for more than a century. Progress that’s also been defined by tension and uncertainty. History is full of fears of technology taking over people’s livelihoods. From protests in the 1800s against mechanical looms to fears in the 1990s that the internet would lead to a world without work.
Today, headline after headline declares the latest stats proving (or disproving) how robots and automation are taking jobs away.
But what makes today’s headlines different? Unlike past waves that disproportionately impacted manual laborers, the next wave of automation is shaping up to be even more intelligent. And as a result, knowledge workers are taking notice.