Corona 19: Robots replacing human jobs, will digital transformation accelerate?

Research has continued that robots will eventually replace much of what humans do. Can the new coronavirus infection (Corona19) speed up the process?

“People wanted human elements like interaction, but Corona19 is changing this,” says futurist Martin Ford, who wrote a book about robots in the future that would be a key member of the economy. “The new opportunity for ‘automation’ has opened up as Corona 19 changes the consumer pattern,” explains Ford.

Many companies are reducing the number of employees who physically move to social distance. Instead, it is expanding its use of robots. Robots are also used to perform roles that employees cannot do at home.

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Wal-Mart, the largest retailer in the United States, uses robots to clean the floor.

The demand for robots may expand further as health experts warn that social distance may be necessary by 2021.

Using a robot cleaner

Companies that produce cleaning or sanitary products are in explosive demand. Denmark’s UV sterilization robot manufacturer UVD Robot has exported hundreds of robotic machines to China and Europe. Grocery stores and food packaging restaurants are also using the robot.

Experts say, “As more projects resume, there will be more cases where robot technology is applied in the field.” For example, you will often see robots cleaning in offices and schools.

“Consumers are paying more attention to safety and health than ever before,” says Blake Morgan, author of The Customer of the Future. “‘Automation’ helps consumers protect their health,” he said. “Consumers will pay compensation for companies that do this.”

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Of course, there are still limitations. Morgan notes that in the case of automated payments, where human interaction in grocery stores needs to be reduced, it can easily break down or cause problems with the system, causing customers to go to the ATM.

Helping to keep social away

Another area where the use of robots is likely to increase is the food service industry. Fast food chains like McDonald’s are experimenting with robots like chefs and vendors.

In warehouses operated by Amazon and Walmart, robots have already been used to increase efficiency. Both companies are trying to increase the use of robots that perform sorting, transporting and packaging tasks with Corona 19.

This may reduce complaints from warehouse workers who say they cannot maintain social distance from their current colleagues. However, according to technology experts, some of the employees will lose their jobs with the use of robots.

When a company invests in robots, the probability of hiring people to do their work is almost eliminated.

Robots have an initial cost, but once they start operating, they generally cost less than hiring employees.

Futurist Martin Ford explains that using robots after Corona19 also has some marketing benefits. “People will prefer to go to places where there are fewer employees and more robotic machines,” Ford said. “This is because people perceive robots to be less risky in more environments.”

Artificial intelligence, as real as possible.

What about the services people need to give conferences or orientation? Artificial intelligence is currently being developed to replace school teachers, physical trainers, and investment advisers.

Giant technology companies are expanding the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Both Facebook and Google rely on artificial intelligence to remove inappropriate posts. This is because the company’s content operators cannot review certain articles at home.

Robot skeptics believed that humans would take the lead in the teaching profession. However, as a result of the blockage, many people began to flexibly accept telecommuting. On-screen instructors or advisers no longer need to be real people. Whether it’s a robot or a human, you can make people watching you think and act.

In a 2017 report, McKinsey predicted that by 2030, a third of American workers would be replaced by automation and robots. However, there is a chance that events like ghosts will advance this. Experts say it is entirely up to humans to decide how to integrate robotic technology.

How about Korea?

In Korea, robots are being used to measure people’s body temperatures or spray hand sanitizers.

The Seoul Medical Center, designated as a dedicated hospital for Corona 19, has been using a fever detection robot and a disinfection robot since 12 last month. Seoul National University Hospital is also introducing cleaning robots and guide robots to control and clean visitors.

As the ‘culture of non-face to face consumption’, which is reluctant to contact with Corona 19, has expanded, restaurants using service robots are also on the rise. On the 13th, the elegance brothers who run “Delivery of People” agreed to provide a “Deli-Plate” service robot to 50 restaurants across the country free of charge for two months. Smart streams tried to support 10 robots serving in 10 restaurants, but the number of robots increased 5-fold as more than 160 applications were brought together.

Director Kim Dong-soo of the University of Korea Future Growth Research Institute, which suggests and studies the direction of the Korean economy, told the Korean BBC: “Considering the serious socio-economic impact of Corona 19, humanity now you’re seeing a new phenomenon called “viral economy.” “As social distance becomes a daily life, the center of life is rapidly moving from reality to the virtual world.” This means that Korean society is moving from offline to online, as well as work and education, social exchange, communication and economic, cultural and consumer activities.

“With the expansion of culture with Corona 19, the speed at which robots will replace jobs will also increase,” said Kim. “This will accelerate the fourth industrial revolution that has just entered its infancy and serve as a catalyst to promote the digital economy.”

He predicted that the role of government will be even more important in the future in overcoming problems of labor polarization and labor alienation.