One of the primary fears in the current global community is the exponential growth and continued sophistication of artificial intelligence. Fundamental to this concern is the wide ranging impact that this growth will not only leave on the world as we currently know it, but on the place of humans in that world. This has become termed as ‘the singularity’—the point in time when machines will become self-learning, and more importantly, self-aware.
It is at this point that machines and robotics will be elevated from the current monotonous job operations to more high skilled areas. This study looks into the drive towards advanced automation and the increased sophistication of artificial intelligence in conjunction with the cloud and how this growth will eventually lead to technological unemployment.
Some economists are predicting up to a 50% job loss or more. Predicting the future typically means extrapolating the past. It often fails to anticipate breakthroughs. But it is precisely those unpredictable breakthroughs in computing that could have the biggest impact on the workforce. Education and up skilling current workers will be the only way to ensure continued relevance within an automated workforce. By focusing on education it will ensure people are best placed to take advantage of this new age of advanced automation. This dissertation concludes that innovation through creativity will ensure employment opportunities continue to present themselves to those best prepared for such changes.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background and Context
1.2 Research Question
1.3 Value of Research
1.4 Scope and Boundaries of this Study
1.5 Chapter Roadmap
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Sources
2.3 The Cloud and Advanced Automation
2.3.1 Data Centre and the Cloud
2.4 Technological Unemployment
2.5 Impact of Automation on Employment
2.5.1 Outsourcing Vs. Automation
2.6 What is the Singularity?
2.7 Projected Timeline for the Singularity
2.7.1 Moore’s Law
2.7.2 Storage
2.7.3 Supercomputers
2.8 Conclusion
3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Purpose of Research
3.3 Research Philosophy
3.3.1 Pragmatism
3.3.2 Positivism
3.3.3 Realism
3.3.4 Interpretivism
3.4 Research Strategy
3.4.1 Online Survey
3.4.2 Data Collection
3.4.3 Case Study
3.5 Survey Tool
3.6 Participant Demographic
3.7 Conclusions
4. FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Data Analysis
4.3 Survey Results
4.3.1 Advanced Automation
4.3.2 Cloud Services
4.3.3 Data Centre
4.3.4 Employment in IT
4.4 Dediserve: A Case Study
4.4.1 Introduction
4.4.2 Employment and Automation
4.5 Summary of Findings
5. Conclusions
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Will Advanced Automation Impact Employment?
5.3 Occupations Under Threat
5.4 A Future with Advanced Automation
5.5 Limitations
5.6 Future Research Opportunities
5.7 Summary
Research Objectives and Themes
This dissertation investigates the potential impact of advanced automation and cloud computing on the global workforce, specifically focusing on the IT sector. It explores the concept of the 'singularity' and its implications for technological unemployment, seeking to determine whether automation drives job destruction or if evolving labor markets will continue to absorb displaced workers through the creation of new, more creative roles.
- The influence of artificial intelligence and automation on employment trends.
- The role of cloud computing as a catalyst for industrial shift and infrastructure management.
- Empirical analysis of professional perspectives on the threat of technological displacement.
- The relationship between education, specialized technical skills (such as coding), and job security.
- Case study evaluation of real-world automation practices within a cloud infrastructure provider.
Excerpt from the Book
The Luddites
The Luddites were a group of English textile workers engaged in the violent breaking up of machines from 1811 onwards (Palmer, 1998). Such vandalisation was premised by the fear of new machines taking their jobs and livelihoods. Against the backdrop of the economic hardship following the Napoleonic wars, new automated looms meant clothing could be made with fewer lower-skilled workers. As the new machines were more productive, some workers lost their relatively highly paid jobs as a result. A ‘Luddite’ named after the mythical English folk hero Ned "King" Ludd, is a term used (usually pejoratively) to describe people who oppose the introduction of new technology, while the ‘Luddite fallacy’ is the simple observation that new technology does not lead to higher overall unemployment in the economy (Ford, 2009).
It is argued that new technology does not destroy jobs – it only changes the composition of jobs in the economy (Ford, 2009). However, with the continued sophistication and growth of artificial intelligence, and in time the progressive reliance we place on automation, we could now potentially be at the tipping-point of the Luddite fallacy. Martin Ford asserts that ‘if we automate even more, the economy cannot absorb the newly unemployed due to automation in other sectors, and hence it would reduce the purchasing power of the people’ (Ford, 2009). Whether it can now continue to live up to the fact that new technology does not destroy jobs remains to be seen. Since 2001, with the aid of computers, telecommunication advances, and ever more efficient plant operations, U.S manufacturing productivity, or the amount of goods or services a worker produces in an hour, has increased by 24% (Huether, 2006).
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: This chapter introduces the rise of advanced automation and the cloud, establishing the context for the research question regarding technological unemployment.
2. LITERATURE REVIEW: This chapter provides an overview of existing scholarship on artificial intelligence, the singularity, and the historical impacts of technological leaps on the labor market.
3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: This chapter outlines the two-tiered research approach, combining a survey of IT professionals with a case study of Dediserve to analyze the impact of automation.
4. FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS: This chapter presents the data gathered from the survey and the case study, focusing on how IT workers perceive the effects of automation and cloud services on their industry.
5. Conclusions: This chapter synthesizes the research findings, confirming that while advanced automation poses challenges to traditional employment, human adaptability and education remain critical for future career relevance.
Keywords
Advanced Automation, Cloud Computing, Technological Unemployment, Singularity, Artificial Intelligence, IT Industry, Job Displacement, Workforce Transformation, Data Centre, Skills Development, Innovation, Productivity, Industrial Revolution, Human-Computer Interaction, Labor Market.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The dissertation examines the impact of advanced automation and cloud computing on global employment, specifically exploring whether the ongoing technological advancements will lead to widespread technological unemployment.
What are the central thematic areas covered?
The central themes include the projected timeline of the 'singularity,' the influence of cloud services on operational efficiency, the historical context of technological displacement, and the necessity of upskilling and education.
What is the primary objective or research question?
The primary research question is: "Will the drive towards advanced automation and the increased sophistication of artificial intelligence eventually lead to technological unemployment?"
Which scientific methods are utilized?
The study employs a mixed-methods approach based on pragmatism and critical realism, utilizing an online survey of 111 IT professionals and a case study of the cloud infrastructure company Dediserve.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers the literature on technological change, definitions of the singularity, the role of Moore's Law, data center evolution, and the quantitative and qualitative analysis of survey data regarding workplace automation.
Which keywords characterize this work?
The research is characterized by terms such as Advanced Automation, Cloud Computing, Technological Unemployment, Singularity, Artificial Intelligence, and workforce transformation.
How has the role of the data center changed according to the study?
The research suggests that hardware and data centers are becoming increasingly abstract and utility-like, as IT workers focus more on utilizing cloud platforms than on understanding the underlying physical server environment.
What is the significance of the Dediserve case study?
The case study provides a real-world example of how a company can achieve significant growth and maintain a static, lean headcount through the aggressive implementation of automation and cloud technologies.
- Quote paper
- Aidan Mc Carron (Author), 2015, The Impact of Advanced Automation and the Cloud on Employment, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/436754
