Over the past few years, automation has been growing at a fast rate. In fact, Gartner predicts that about 69% of all daily managerial tasks will be automated by 2024. However, as automation grows, there is an increasing concern about how this technology will impact the workforce.

Some experts argue that automation will increase productivity and create new jobs. Others worry that this transformative technology will aggravate income inequality and displace workers. Regardless of how things will turn out, it's evident that the growth of automation will significantly impact the future of the workforce. With that said, let’s dive deeper into how automation will impact the workforce.

The Impact of Automation on the Workforce

Here are some positive and negative effects of automation on the current and future workforce:

1. Increased Productivity

Automation solutions take over tasks that machines can do better. Usually, these jobs involve repetitive tasks requiring minimal variation and processing large data volumes to identify trends and patterns.

For humans, repetitive tasks can be boring. This makes them prone to errors. On the hand, automated machines can perform these tasks accurately without “emotional” influences that may lead to mistakes. Since they are rule-based, automation solutions can precisely execute such jobs as long as the specified parameters are met.

Therefore, automation will improve productivity by increasing the speed, efficiency, and accuracy of tasks. Also, automated solutions can work around the clock without breaks, increasing output and reducing error rates.

What's more, automation will free workers to focus on more critical tasks that require human intervention. This will significantly boost the overall productivity.

2. Encourage the Workforce to Upskill

Automation comes with new skill requirements. For instance, employees should be comfortable working with automated systems to improve productivity. Also, routine jobs can be automated easily, rendering them obsolete. On the other hand, jobs that demand critical thinking, creativity, interpersonal skills, and problem-solving are expected to have a high demand.

Therefore, workers may need to obtain new skills or adapt the existing ones to stay relevant in the changing job market. Doing so will make them more marketable in the automation world.

3. Workforce Restructuring

Since automation will take over specific tasks, the nature of work may change. In fact, lower-value-added work will slowly disappear. This means that some jobs will become more focused on overseeing and managing automated solutions. Others may involve collaborating with artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms or machines to effectively execute the assigned tasks. The recommended approach to developing such an automation is to select a leading LLM App platform as this will enable you to efficiently develop and fine-tune your models using rapid iteration and testing.

Also, workforce restructuring will be crucial to optimize the interaction between automated systems and humans. For instance, businesses will need to invest in and educate their teams on automation. This will help minimize its risks and improve collaboration between stakeholders.

4. Job Creation

While automation will eliminate some “obvious” jobs, it will also create new ones. New jobs will emerge during the development and management of the automated systems. Therefore, skilled workers with expertise in various areas, like data analysis, AI, and robotics, will find new job opportunities in the job market.

What’s more, automation can lead to job opportunities in sectors indirectly associated with automation. For instance, automation promotes higher productivity and cost savings. This will potentially stimulate economic development and create new demand.

5. Workforce Retraining and Continuous Learning

Automation will significantly reshape the workforce. Since automation is a highly disrupted technology, employees will need continuous training and retraining to keep up with the changing skill requirements.

With that said, companies will need to create regular training programs to ensure their employees are up-to-date with the latest skill requirements. This will enable them to effectively work alongside automated systems.

6. Improved Working Conditions

Automation will potentially enhance working conditions by minimizing the demand for manual labor, which may be dangerous and physically draining. For instance, automated bots can be deployed in risky working environments instead of humans. This will significantly reduce workplace injuries while improving overall worker wellness.

7. Job Displacement

One of the major challenges of automation is the ability to displace the workforce. Employees who perform repetitive tasks are at risk of being displaced by this transformative technology.

AI-powered automated systems can execute repetitive tasks more effectively than humans. You only need to set the parameters for the machines to execute the job. From there, you can focus on other important tasks, leaving the machines to work autonomously.

This means that workers in these areas will likely lose their jobs. Alternatively, they should consider upgrading their skills to perform tasks that are difficult to automate.

Even worse, these automated systems will become more effective as technology advances. AI-powered automated systems with machine learning capabilities can learn from previous experiences. This enables them to make better decisions in the future, improving the overall outcome.

Also, it means that they can take over even more complex tasks with time. For example, ChatGPT and Bard are taking over the writing industry. This means that authors are at a high risk of being displaced because these tools can write thousands of words within a single click of a button. Other sectors that will be affected include customer service, transportation, and manufacturing.

8. Income Inequality

As initially stated, automation will take over the lower-value-added jobs. This means that it may increase income inequality by only benefiting highly skilled workers and business owners.

Lower-skilled employees will face limited employment opportunities and job displacement. Therefore, it is crucial to address these issues by promoting inclusive growth. Some strategies to consider include:

• Exploring alternative income distribution models.
• Investing in training and education programs.
• Supporting the affected workers.

Doing so will empower the lower-skilled workers, enabling them to find job opportunities and alternative sources of income. This will potentially prevent an increase in income inequality among the workforce.

The Role of Sage IT as an Automation Anywhere Consulting Partner

Sage IT has played an essential role in providing various Automation Anywhere Consulting Services. The company offers several Automation Anywhere services, such as:

• Assessment. Sage IT helps clients investigate the compatibility of the systems with those of Automation Anywhere. The team audits the client’s IT processes and infrastructure to determine the feasibility of integrating Automation Anywhere.

• Consultancy. Sage IT’s skilled experts offer quality advisory services that cover various Automation Anywhere use cases.

• Development and Configuration. Sage IT helps companies build and scale up their RPA bots to meet specified business goals.

• Sage IT helps clients drive their transformation initiative by delivering bots in full-scale and pilot phases.

• Support and Maintenance. Sage IT delivers continuous support for bot optimization and training. Also, it provides consistent maintenance services, such as optimizing the client’s Automation Anywhere licenses, helpdesk services, and ticket management.

The collaboration between Sage IT and companies, leveraging the Automation Anywhere platform for automation optimization, has generated significant benefits. These include streamlined business processes, improved efficiency, cost savings, and enhanced performance and productivity. Representatives of businesses have offered positive testimonials, acknowledging the value of expertise delivered by Sage IT's Automation Anywhere Consulting Services.

Final Thought

Automation has significant positive and negative implications for the workforce. For instance, it will create new jobs, improve productivity, and encourage workers to upskill. On the other hand, it will lead to job displacement and promote income inequality. Therefore, governments and businesses should establish measures to maximize the benefits of automation in the workforce. Also, workers should take the relevant initiatives, like upskilling, to stay relevant in the automation world.