Will robots cost us our jobs

2019-01-16江苏射阳陈洋中学温从秀

疯狂英语·新读写 2019年1期

江苏射阳陈洋中学温从秀

人工智能和机器人科技在飞速发展，很多人都担心这类技术对工作所带来的影响。人工智能技术拥有更低的成本和更高的工作效率的优势，这是否意味着机器人将变成各类职业的主力军？如果真的会这样，那么人类的工作是否会岌岌可危？

As new technology is introduced，there are many who worry about its impact on our current and future lifestyles—particularly when it comes to jobs.It is a current belief that with the rise of robotics and artificial intelligence，many people's jobs，and therefore their livelihoods，are likely tobe replaced byautomation.

This type of fear isn't new.In the 19th century，the automated weaving machine was revolutionising the English textile（纺织）industry and would contribute to the Industrial Revolution.When manual（体力的）workers became out of work，it sparked protests at the loss of their vocation.

Automation in the work place is nothing new.Machines have been performing menial（枯燥的）taskson our behalffor years，allowing us to escape the drudgery （苦工）that accompanies many repetitive jobs.In fact，the International Federation of Robotics states that in manufacturing on average there are now 74 robots per 10，000 employees.That has risen from 66 in 2015.

General Manager of Digital Customer Engagement Solutions at tech firm Nuance，Bernard Louvat， believes that “AI is a big threat tolowskilled jobs， no question.” He also thinks that AI chatbots（聊天机器人）will replace most call centre staff within a decade.When you consider that a large telecom company like AT&T employs around 100，000 call centre staff， that's a lot of people on the dole（靠领取救济金生活）.

And that's just one industry.A recent report from the McKinsey Global Institute，a private sector think tank，states that nearly two thirds of all jobs could have at least 30%of their activities automated by 2030.

However，McKinsey also believes that this new technology will also“create new occupations that do not exist today，much as technologies in the past have done.”As the horsegave way tothe car，hostlers （马夫）became mechanics and mechanised manufacturing drove up wages and created more long-term roles than it destroyed.In fact，figures from the World Bank have shown that despite a 2.2 billion rise in population between 1991 and 2017，global unemployment has fallen by 0.3%.

“It's an evolution of work，” said Ian Barkin，co-founder of Symphony Ventures，a robotic process automation specialist.As low-skilled jobs aretaken onby AI，people will need to learn new skills.“This calls on us tofocus on up-skilling.Technology can lead to job reductions but it doesn't have to，” said Barkin.

Whether or not robotics and AI will leave us all jobless remains to be seen.Current views on the subject are mixed.Increased automation could indeed lead to a loss of some jobs，but at the same time is likely to create many more as new skills are required.Will they balance out?I'll get my AI assistant to get back to you on that one.

Reading Check

Read the text and answer the questions.

1.According to the text，what do people worry about with the rise of robotics and AI?

2.In the McKinsey Global Institute's opinion，what will happen as jobs are lost to automation?

3.What should we do if robotics and AI don't leave us any jobs?

3.low-skilled job低技能工作

4.give way to为……所替代；给……让路

5.take on承担（一份工作）

6.focus on集中于

7.up-skill（通过培训）提升技能

Difficult sentence

写作靓句“When it comes to...”