Technology still works as disrupter

ON MONDAY, Hangzhou Wahaha, one of the largest beverage producers in China, announced it has founded a company for robotics R&D and the manufacturing of robots with Zong Qinghou, its CEO and chairperson, claiming that robots will replace humans in physical labor and other posts that involve high risks and pose a threat to health. China Daily writer Zhang Zhouxiang comments:

Zong's words have aroused fierce discussions, with many people worrying whether their jobs will be on the "to be replaced by robots" list.

Such concerns are reasonable because it is an irreversible trend that automation will replace humans in certain jobs. Artificial intelligence and process automation are already replacing people in some sectors and that is likely to become more commonplace. The US administration blames China for lost manufacturing jobs in the United States, but in fact it is robotics and automation that have been the main drivers of factory job losses.

Is this an unprecedented change? Is it possible to adapt to this new era?

The development of technologies including AI and robotics promise greater productivity and increased efficiencies. But they also raise questions about the broader impact of automation on employment. Yet throughout human history, repetitive labor has always been replaced by technology, and that's how human civilization makes progress. This process accelerated during the Industrial Revolution, and has gained greater momentum with the internet and related technologies in the past several decades.

Every time there has been a technological disruption, people have generally enjoyed better, not worse, living standards. New opportunities and jobs have been created by the disruption and people have learned new skills to meet the needs of employers.

For instance, as Zong said, robots can help in emergencies and other situations that involve high risks for humans. On Monday, 30 people, including 27 firefighters and three local residents, died while fighting a wildfire in Muli county, southwestern China's Sichuan province. Most of those who died were young men in their late teens or 20s. Such a tragedy could be avoided in the future with the use of firefighting technology such as drones.

Historically, technology has transformed the work being done, closing some doors and opening others. That is likely to remain true in the digital revolution that is under way.

CAI MENG/CHINA DAILY