Living in the age of significant technological development, we witness new advancements daily. For quite some years, we have seen a trend of automation in almost every field. Automation in technology is aided by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and software robots. The primary objective of introducing drawbacks of robots in every area of work is to assist humans in labor and ease their workload. It is made possible by intelligently combining engineering and computer science to design and construct robots for performing different tasks. The interdisciplinary field related to planning, building, and using robots for performing various tasks is known as robotics. This is a growing field nowadays, and its scope is expected to expand further in the future.
Let’s look at how much ease has robots provided in our lives and what harmful effects it has caused.
Benefits of robots
The integration of robotics in industries and other fields has immense growth and development opportunities. It has revolutionized the way organizations operate. Following are some advantages that have played a great role in the advancement and popularity of robotics.
Accuracy:
Robotic automation provides accuracy in work. Humans are more vulnerable to errors than automated machines called robots that perform their functions as they are programmed. They do not get tired like humans and are therefore capable of doing error-free work. Some robots are even designed to work round the clock without stopping. Performance of tasks related to involving calculations is done much better by robots than humans. Robots also do not get distracted; that is one of the reasons for making mistakes. They perform the work for which they are designed without diverting anywhere else.
Improved productivity:
Robots are most suitable for repetitive tasks as they can work untiringly with the same efficiency. With the help of robots, firms can increase productivity to a high level. Therefore robots are widely used in manufacturing industries. The manual delays in the production process that are common when applying human effort are removed in robots, resulting in high production and improved productivity. We can increase the efficiency of robots through programming changes, which are not possible when working with humans. They also work faster and smarter than humans.Â
Cost-Effectiveness:
Unlike humans, robots do not need medical allowances, lunch breaks, sick leaves, or holidays. With proper and adequate maintenance, they can be used repeatedly for an extended time. They provide cost-effectiveness by increasing production. Due to large-scale production, the cost is reduced. It benefits firms to earn high profits and secure a large market share. With further advancement in the development of robots, they are becoming cheaper, and therefore firms are shifting towards robotic automation for specific tasks.Â
High-quality:
Robotic automation enables the maintenance of uniform quality in every job performed or every unit produced. Moreover, you can enhance the quality of work by making changes in the programming of the robots. Using specialized robots for specific tasks improves the quality of the job performed. Specialized robots can perform tasks like assignment writing service, essay writing service, or any other academic writing and digital marketing type.
Work in a high-risk environment:
Numerous tasks are hazardous and risky for humans, like working with harmful chemicals. For these kinds of functions, it is better to use robots. This reduces the danger of workplace injuries among employees. They are also beneficial for jobs that involve working in too high or freezing low temperatures, underwater, space, or extreme wind. They can be used for experiments in space. By using robots for less critical or dangerous tasks, you can employ human labor more efficiently for jobs that particularly require human wit and wisdom.
Drawbacks
Although the advantages of integrating robots are compelling enough there are also some downsides and drawbacks which must be considered before adopting this technology. Some of them are mentioned below.
Unemployment:
The increasing use and adaptability of robots in industries have given rise to unemployment among humans on a large scale. Due to robots’ unmatchable benefits, people are replacing human resources with automation, due to which unemployment has increased. It ultimately results in poverty and a low standard of living among people. This is one of the major concerns rising nowadays and requires adequate attention. If not cured on time, it can further create many problems and imbalances in the future.Â
Rigidity:
Robots are programing to perform specific tasks. They always function in the same manner. This means that they are unable to handle unexpected situations, unlike humans who have the ability to act according to the situation and are better at handling sudden undesired situations. Also, robots cannot deal with urgent deadlines.Â
Initial Investment:
The initial investment cost for integrating robotics in an organization is very high and thus not affordable by many small organizations. This is the biggest hurdle in the way of switching to automation from manual work. The firm planning to integrate robotics in its operations must first consider its budget and then make a decision. Not only this, but the company should also ensure that its future cash flows are stable enough to recover the initial costs as well as regular support maintenance of the system.Â
Moreover, for handling the operation of an automated system, skill and train staff will be required. Skilled professionals will have high rates. If you choose to train your staff, it would also have its cost implications. The company must keep all these cost implications in mind and then take the right decision that will benefit it in the long run.
Predefined programming:
Robots work on the basis of programming. They cannot do anything other than what it is designed to do. This means that any minor error in the programming will impact the performance of the robots. This may result in heavy losses to the company in terms of money and other resources. They are not able to think or make decisions; therefore, they cannot improve their performance according to the need of time.
Where on the one hand, robots provide us with many benefits like saving time, accuracy, and others; it also has their downsides. An individual or organization should consider both aspects before deciding on whether to integrate robotics into their work or not.