Automation's Influence: Human Skills, Intelligence, and the Future

This essay examines the multifaceted impact of automation on human skills and cognitive abilities. It begins by presenting the argument that automation, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence, may lead to a decline in human skills due to increased reliance on automated systems for decision-making and task execution. The essay explores the potential for 'deskilling' and the erosion of critical thinking and manual dexterity. However, it also presents a balanced perspective, acknowledging the role of automation in refining soft skills such as emotional intelligence, adaptability, and digital literacy, which are essential for operating and managing automated systems. The essay further highlights the collaboration between human skills and automation, emphasizing how this combination can drive efficiency, productivity, and economic growth. It also addresses the disadvantages of automation, such as structural unemployment, increased inequality, and the loss of human interaction. The essay concludes by suggesting that the future lies in integrating human skills and intelligence with automated technology to foster innovation and advancement, emphasizing the need for continuous learning and adaptation to thrive in an increasingly automated world.

Nicholas Carr claims that
“automation makes us dumb”
as it leads to human cognitive
and manual skills withering

The viewpoint on the topic that and automation makes us dumb because it leads to human
cognitive and manual skills withering. Nowadays the computer system is more sharp than the
human minds and therefore humans have grown their reliability on computer automation even at
the high pricing as well. This has resulted that the human’s intelligence is withering because
humans are becoming more dependent on the artificial variety instead of making the human
beings smarter as per the research. This is because of the introduction of artificial intelligence
which can sense the environment and make judgments and learn from the experiences. In today's
world humans are dependent on the software for important decision making processes in an
organisation rather than their own capabilities and intelligence (Pasquale, 2019). Computers are
not stealing the jobs of talented people but they are changed in the manner the work gets done
before. Technology is transforming machine operators to computer operators. Studies have found
out that working by hand is much better for unlocking the designer’s originality because it
expands the working memory and helps in making strategies. At the time of designing any
software, the designer first analyses the capabilities of the computers so that they can delegate as
much of the work from the human beings to the computers for better convenience in the
working. After that the human mind is a sign whatever is left and it consists mainly of the easy
work that is the entering of data and following the templates which monitor the displays and the
rest of the typical work is done by the software’s. This is a philosophy which is trapping the
people in deskilling. Isolation of the hard work dulls the skills of the human beings and results in
the increment of the odds where the mistakes happen. After such mistakes the designer makes
responses so that they can seek further people's responsibilities in order to restrict them working
and try to rectify such mistakes by the software. Because of the prevailing technology which
emphasizes the requirements of the techniques over the humans because it forces the people to
get into the supporting role for which they are most unsuited. There is a term human centred
automation which is considered as the talents of the people took precedence. Because systems
are developed in order to keep the human operator for making decisions and the continuing
process of action along with the feedback. These workers are attender and promote the kind of
challenging practice which strengthens their skills. Software is the important part but secondary
as well. This is because it takes the routine functions that all human beings have already
mastered and moreover it alerts the issues whenever the unexpected circumstances arise and
renders the fresh data which helps the operators perspective in out of the box thinking. It can be
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said that the technology is the partner of the expert rather than the replacement. Moreover, it is
not good to blame Technology all over but the humans as well because they are responsible to
furnish their skills and capabilities in order to refine for their own career and life (Andrejevic,
2019). This is because question automation in a more human direction does not need any
technical breakthroughs because it requires the shifting in priorities and focusing on the human
strengths and weaknesses.
The discussion on the topic is all about automation and human skills so it is important to discuss
that automation is not only reducing the human skills but it is important to look at the other side
of the coin as well because it has a role in the refinement and condition of the human’s soft skills
in professionalism. this is because the research says that to operate the automation in any
organisation for any work soft skills are required at large in the human beings so that they can
operate such technique in an effective manner because until and unless technology is not being
used in a proper manner it is useless and therefore it requires the human soft skills in order to
function it and use it in an appropriate manner. Soft skills in the human beings such as emotional
intelligence, adaptability, business acumen, empathy, leadership, persuasion, creativity,
communication and collaboration are the skills which are required in automation and if these
tools are not used in operating automation in the world then the advancement of the technology
can prove useless without the use of human soft skills (Danaher, 2019). Automation requires
digital literacy and financial literacy along with organisational literacy and Civic and cultural
literacy in order to operate it in an effective manner. For example, Technology needs human
intelligence in order to operate such as critical thinking and entrepreneurship along with the
ethics and growth mind-set. Self-awareness and accountability along with their persistence and
integrity. Strategic vision and empowerment along with the project and performance
management. At the time only one side of the coin was reviewed but now if the collaboration is
done between human skills and automation this can prove a deadly combination to move the
world forward in any way. This is because automation is helping the world in more efficient
production along with human efforts and higher labour productivity along with higher wages and
profit. Moreover, it is enabling in the increment of cheaper goods and disposable income of the
consumers which avoids boring and repetitive jobs along with the enabling of shorter working
week which can enhance the safety and remove the risk of human bug as this can provide the
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consumers the greater choice of goods offered by the company (Susskind, 2020). Everything
introduced in the world has a reason and everything has pros and cons for it therefore research is
being done from both angles.
The discussion is all about the disadvantages of automation in the world which has made the
human skills dumb. It has various reasons such as in the previous discussion it is discussed about
how human skills and automation have collaborated with each other and how they are successful
in today's world. But the disadvantages cannot be ignored and therefore it is investigated that
there are some workers who were totally dependent on their physical activities which is now
replaced with the technology and automation and resulted in the structural unemployment.
Automation has created the winners and losers which has increased the possibility of inequality
among the people who are employed and the people who are unemployed and who do smart
work and hard work (Johannessen and Sætersdal, 2020). Automation is also responsible for the
increment of monopoly power which is a major disadvantage of it in the field of Technology
because it can affect the market and the people in a negative manner. It has also resulted in the
loss of human interaction and this is because dealing with computers leads to lower quality of
life because in the earlier days without automation and technologies, people communicated with
each other and involve among each other for better brainstorming and investigation but now they
are all involved in the technology and interact with the computing and automations which has
lowered the technique of brainstorming. Moreover, an automated system has shown the lack of
empathy with events. Although automation has provided the world a new face and digitalization,
it has also resulted in the lack of human efforts which were necessary in furnishing the human
skills. It is very well known that because of human knowledge and skills, automation and
advanced technology is introduced in order to reduce the complications in the market and for
personal use as well. This is done to get convenient working in the field of technology and
business. Nowadays automation is everywhere so that the smooth functioning can be done in an
organisation without any hindrances. This argument and the whole discussion is very well
structured but it is reviewing both the parts of automation that is its importance and its demerits,
this is because research on the topic is never done one sided, it is important to cover both the
aspects which can give the clarity of the topic so that better analysis and conclusion can be
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drawn (Mulgan, 2018). That is why both the advantages and disadvantages have been reviewed
so that specifications can be made and better examinations can be done.
It is concluded that introduction of automation has not dumb the human skills but also has the
disadvantages of replacing the human efforts. This statement has a deep meaning which states
that Technology does not work on their own, they are requiring the human skills and intelligence
in order to get them work. Therefore, automation consists of advantages and disadvantages both
and both are necessary to focus upon so that the deep insight can get on the advancement of
technology. Science is planning about more automation in the world in the coming years and it
will plan and do the world exist this is because it is the human nature that human does not get
satisfied and they even need more and more in terms of Technology or anything and that is why
every time the new innovation is being done for automation and every time the new human skills
are required in order to implement it. The world will not survive without the technology and
automation and therefore it is important to overcome the disadvantages of automation and
convert them into strengths and opportunities of the human skills and intelligence so that the
world can become a better place in terms of Technology and automation and this can only be
done if the human skills and intelligence is combined with the automated Technology and this
combination or collaboration among the two can give the world advancement in technology
every time until the world exist. In the coming years there are human skills which are highly
required and cannot be replaced by any automated Technology and the people can focus upon
them so that instead of blaming the technology they can appreciate it by contributing the skills
and intelligence in advance in the world. For example analytical thinking and innovation, active
learning and learning strategies, complex problem solving, critical thinking and analysis,
creativity and originality along with the initiative, leadership and social influence, Technology
use and monitoring along with the controlling, Technology design and programming, resilience
and stress tolerance along with the flexibility, reasoning and problem solving along with the
ideation, emotional intelligence, troubleshooting and user experience, service orientation, system
analysis and evaluation along with the persuasion and negotiation. All these skills and human
intelligence are important in the coming years of Technology and automation and this is
important to prove for the human beings that automation has not made dumb by acquiring the
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skills but the automation has provided the opportunity to the human beings to grow and develop
and make the world the place of advancement.
References
Andrejevic, M., 2019. Automated media. Routledge.
Danaher, J., 2019. Automation and utopia: Human flourishing in a world without work. Harvard
University Press.
Johannessen, J.A. and Sætersdal, H., 2020. Automation, Innovation and Work: The Impact of
Technological, Economic, and Social Singularity. Routledge.
Mulgan, G., 2018. Big mind: How collective intelligence can change our world. Princeton
University Press.
Pasquale, F., 2019. A rule of persons, not machines: the limits of legal automation. Geo. Wash.
L. Rev., 87, p.1.
Susskind, D., 2020. A world without work: Technology, automation and how we should respond.
Penguin UK.
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