In the earlier times, people had a knack of making self-operating mechanisms for amusement which were in the form of either people or animals. Progressing into the industrial age, there devices evolved into machines that were automatic and served practical purposes. These machines have actually superseded human beings today. Being able to perform risky or monotonous tasks anywhere is what a robot is – a machine that can be programmed by a computer, which may be externally controlled or contained in the machine itself. There are both advantages and disadvantages of robotics.
Benefits
The benefits are higher production rates or productivity levels; better efficiency in the utilization of raw materials; better quality of the finished products; less laborious work, since it is safer and shorter working weeks are provided; and a decrease in production cycle for the factories. The Enhanced output and raised levels of productivity have been among the most persuasive arguments offered in favor of automation. human skill and craftsmanship have long been claimed as the hallmarks of superior quality.
Cost Unfriendly
A businessman is all the time aiming to enhance his profits. Like taking care of monotonous tasks, he would much rather use machines than human efforts. However, employing robots most of the time is impracticable since it requires a lot of money to install the machinery. Not every organization is able to commit that large of a capital investment. Also to operate the robots, at least some level of training/human expertise is required, which again calls for more resource in terms of personnel.
Maintenance Issues
They are expensive to maintain. An individual cannot operate the robot without breaking it, he/she will need to call a specialist which is more costly. Also include the cost of the downtime. That becomes too much for an organization to incur. As we all understand the threat of cyber security, it is not only computers but also robots that have vulnerability. They usually lack the intuitive sense to differentiate right from wrong. It can easily be accessed by unauthorized individuals and altered to cause disruption to its intended purpose. Now the issue of cyber security where such mechanisms are employed becomes a serious threat.
Lack of Emotion
It presents a problem to humanity if robots will dominate the world. Thanks to the internet we are bonded together as a population and divorced from real life. A throng of the audience engrossed in the screen can be spotted everywhere. Many more issues will be contributing to depression, loneliness, and even isolation. As machines do not have human volition, they can only function in the way they have been programmed.
Unemployment Rate
The only drawback of the entire picture related to the futuristic world filled with robots is the fear of unprecedented levels of unemployment. Robots will enhance economic growth and more jobs will be created, downsizing will also be a reality as robots will figure in the reduction of a large workforce. Predictions indicate that around 20 million manufacturing jobs will be lost to automation by the end of 2030.
Sometimes disadvantages of robotics outweigh the advantages and people cannot get over with the rise of robots everywhere. They start to deny living in such a society.