A decade ago, experts predicted how AI, robotics and automation would impact the future. The August 2014 report, “Digital Life in 2025 – AI, Robotics and the Future of Jobs,” was published as part of the Pew Research Center’s Internet Project to “mark the 25th anniversary of the creation of the World Wide Web by Sir Tim Berners-Lee.”
Key findings were that: 1) Advances in technology will displace certain types of work, but they will be a net creator of jobs; 2) Humans will adapt to changes by inventing entirely new types of work and taking advantage of uniquely human capabilities; and 3) Our educational system was not adequately preparing us for work of the future.
In this issue, we discuss ways robotics and automation have impacted manufacturing, from productivity and safety to jobs and workforce development. We hear from innovators on ways to balance technology with human expertise to expand business opportunities, create new career paths and inspire the next generation of manufacturing leaders.
In this month’s Voices AMplified, you’ll learn about two award-winning innovations creating new ways to solve problems and change lives through additive manufacturing (AM). Winners of the Aubin AM Case Study Award, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Maine, are tackling the low-income housing crisis with BioHome3D, the world’s first fully bio-based, fully recyclable and highly insulated 3D-printed house. And Mantle Inc. co-founders Ted Sorom and Steve Connor spent years developing a hybrid 3D-printing and machining solution that earned SME’s AM Start-Up Technology Award, which recognizes entrepreneurs who develop unique technology or applications to solve problems.
Imagine where continued progress in human-robot collaboration will take U.S. manufacturing in the next 10 years. We’ll see if some of the predictions made in this issue stand the test of time. Enjoy!
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