Economic Concerns

Automation has had both positive and negative consequences throughout human history. First, it has made many jobs safer for people and also more economically efficient. Robots and machines took the dangerous jobs formerly held by people and made formerly labor intensive jobs quick. For example, garments and fabrics used to require the skills of specialized tailors, but the cotton gin made fabrics available to the masses. Secondly compare the number of human coal miners today with those of a hundred years ago. There are significantly less human coal miners today partly through automation and also through more efficient technologies. The equal concern applies to University robots. Robot’s could take the place of not only maintenance personnel but also could take the place of student employees and possibly instructors. While this may have positive effects for university cost, the cost to employees could be devastating.

Emotional Concerns

Humans need contact with other humans to live. Without person to person interaction, people can become depressed and sick. If robots become a larger part of human beings day to day life, people may become nothing more than machine operators. This is part of the danger of automation, and the lack of human contact may cause people’s emotional and mental health to suffer.