AI and Automation's Effect on the UK Workforce: A Critical Analysis

This essay provides a critical evaluation of the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation on the UK workforce. The introduction highlights the increasing use of AI in automation to increase output and minimize costs, while also addressing concerns about job displacement. The essay summarizes the main ideas from the article, which discusses how machine learning and robotics are replacing certain types of labor, particularly in areas like marketing. It also considers the uncertainties surrounding the rate of technological development and adoption. The evaluation section discusses the benefits of automation, such as collaborative and medical robots, as well as its weaknesses, including potential security breaches and job losses. The conclusion recommends that the government evaluate the type of automation it funds, supporting automation that creates new job opportunities for humans. The essay references several sources, including Russell and Norvig (2016) and Kasemsap (2017), to support its arguments.

CRITICAL EVALUATION 1
Critical Evaluation: Article Assignment
By
Name of the Class
Professor
Name of the University
The Date

CRITICAL EVALUATION 2
Introduction
Use of artificial intelligence in automation can be viewed as a way of increasing the
output while minimizing the costs of production. The above, however, has raised concern in the
UK workforce whether the continuing automation will leave room for the human workforce.
Artificial intelligence entails intelligence demonstrated by machines contrast to human brain
intelligence (Russell and Norvig, 2016). On the other hand, automation entails creation and
application of technology in monitoring and controlling the production and delivery of various
goods and services (Leitão, Colombo, and Karnouskos, 2016). From the above, artificial
intelligence and automation are expected to have various changes in the near future which may
have a step forward or backward for the world.
Summary of Main Ideas
The article about automation and the workforce has provided an overview of the impact
of machine learning as part of artificial intelligence has on job opportunities. From the article, it
is clear that some types of labour are being replaced by automation which is facilitated through
robotics and machine learning. An example of these replacements is in marketing where machine
learning can be used in predicting short behavior of markets where automated trading software
can perform high volume trading faster than humans. From the overview, there is also the
uncertainties in the pace of technological development, the rate of adoption and other factors.
The rate of adoption of automation technology is aspired to increase due to various reasons
which include the falling cost of computing power and greater availability of data. Another
factor is the falling cost of sensors which can make installation of industrial robots easier and
cheaper.

CRITICAL EVALUATION 3
The government of UK has remarkably supported the initiative on robotics and
autonomous systems in various ways. It is clear from the article that more than £100 million
funding has been committed for robotics and autonomous system projects. Despite the support
and embrace of automation enhanced by artificial intelligence, the big question remains that is
whether human beings will have a role to play particularly on workplaces.
Evaluation
Automation in the workforce has several benefits which include collaborative robots
which can greatly assist workers particularly in moving heavy objects. Medical robots have also
greatly enhanced the field of medicine where major and complex surgeries are now possible due
to the robot’s efficiency (Villani et al., 2018). Automation has also some weaknesses, for
example, on self-driving cars if profound encryption is not performed, code breach can lead to
stealing of such cars or manipulating the code to cause accidents (Kasemsap, 2017). Another
weakness is the threat of laying people off in organizations if full automation has to take place. If
many tasks in organizations are automated and performed by robots, human beings have a great
threat of being laid off where some few personnel will be hired to maintain the automated robots.
Conclusion and Recommendations
From the critical evaluation above, it is clear that automation has both positive and
negative impacts depending on the category and level of automation. Positive and beneficial
automation should, therefore, be the key motive. The government should, therefore, evaluate the
type of automation it is funding, for example, automation which will yield and create other job
opportunities to be handled by humans.

CRITICAL EVALUATION 4
References
Kasemsap, K., 2017. Robotics: Theory and applications. In Cybersecurity breaches and issues
surrounding online threat protection (pp. 311-345). IGI Global.
Leitão, P., Colombo, A.W. and Karnouskos, S., 2016. Industrial automation based on cyber-
physical systems technologies: Prototype implementations and challenges. Computers in
Industry, 81, pp.11-25.
Russell, S.J. and Norvig, P., 2016. Artificial intelligence: a modern approach. Malaysia; Pearson
Education Limited,.
Villani, V., Sabattini, L., Czerniak, J.N., Mertens, A. and Fantuzzi, C., 2018. Mate robots
simplifying my work: The benefits and socioethical implications. IEEE Robotics & Automation
Magazine, 25(1), pp.37-45.