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Essay on Impact of Technology on Jobs

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100 Words Essay on Impact of Technology on Jobs

Introduction.

Technology has revolutionized the world, significantly affecting jobs. It has both created new opportunities and eliminated certain roles.

Job Creation

Technology has led to the creation of new jobs. For instance, roles like app developers, data analysts, and digital marketers didn’t exist before the digital age.

Job Elimination

Conversely, technology has made some jobs redundant. Automation and AI can perform tasks previously done by humans, like assembly line work or data entry, reducing the need for these roles.

In conclusion, technology’s impact on jobs is two-fold: it creates new opportunities but can also lead to job loss.

250 Words Essay on Impact of Technology on Jobs

The advent of technology.

Technology has transformed our world, bringing about a digital revolution that has reshaped every aspect of life, including the job market. The advent of technology has significantly impacted jobs, creating new opportunities while also challenging existing ones.

Technology has been a catalyst for job creation. The digital revolution has led to the emergence of new sectors such as data analysis, digital marketing, and app development. These sectors were non-existent a few decades ago but are now major employers, demonstrating technology’s potential to create jobs.

Job Displacement

On the flip side, technology has also led to job displacement. Automation and artificial intelligence have replaced human labor in many fields, from manufacturing to customer service. This displacement has led to job losses, particularly among lower-skilled workers, and has raised concerns about income inequality and social stability.

The Need for Reskilling

The impact of technology on jobs underscores the need for reskilling. As technology evolves, the skills required in the job market also change. Continuous learning and adaptation are now a necessity for job security and career progression.

In conclusion, while technology has undeniably reshaped the job landscape, its impact is not wholly negative or positive. It is a double-edged sword that creates jobs while also displacing others. The key is to harness the positive aspects of technology while mitigating its negative impacts through proactive measures such as reskilling and education reform.

500 Words Essay on Impact of Technology on Jobs

Technology has been a driving force of change in our society, influencing various aspects of our lives. One of the most profound impacts of technology has been on the job market. The advent of new technologies has led to the creation of new jobs, while simultaneously rendering some jobs obsolete.

Technology as a Job Creator

The first and most obvious impact of technology on jobs is the creation of new roles. The technology industry itself has seen a boom in jobs related to software development, data analysis, cyber security, and more. Furthermore, the rise of digital platforms has created jobs in digital marketing, e-commerce, and social media management.

In addition, technology has also created indirect jobs. For instance, the rise of e-commerce has led to an increase in jobs in logistics and delivery services. Similarly, the surge in data generated by businesses has led to an increase in demand for data analysts and data scientists.

Technology as a Job Disruptor

On the flip side, technology has also led to job displacement. Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) have replaced human labor in various sectors. Routine and repetitive tasks are particularly susceptible to automation. For example, manufacturing jobs have been significantly reduced due to the advent of industrial robots.

In addition, AI and machine learning algorithms are increasingly capable of performing complex tasks. They can analyze large amounts of data more efficiently than humans, leading to job displacement in sectors such as finance and healthcare.

The Future of Jobs in the Age of Technology

As technology continues to evolve, the nature of jobs will change. The World Economic Forum predicts that by 2025, machines will perform more tasks than humans in the workplace. This doesn’t necessarily mean mass unemployment, but rather a shift in the types of jobs available.

The future job market will likely require workers to have a different set of skills. As machines take over routine tasks, there will be an increased demand for jobs that require human skills such as creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence.

The impact of technology on jobs is a double-edged sword. While it has led to job creation in various sectors, it has also caused job displacement. As we move towards a more technologically advanced society, it is essential for individuals and institutions to adapt and acquire the skills necessary for the jobs of the future. The challenge lies in ensuring that the benefits of technology are widespread and do not lead to increased social inequality.

In conclusion, technology has a profound impact on jobs. It is a powerful driver of change, bringing both opportunities and challenges. It is up to us to harness its potential while mitigating its adverse effects.

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Impact of Technology on jobs

impact of technology on jobs short essay

  • . Update: Apr 22, 2021 3:23 pm

Impact of technology on jobs

Table of Contents

  • Technology has made a number of traditional jobs redundant. For example, ATMs replaced some bank jobs. The new wave of technologies like automation and artificial intelligence is a threat to many jobs. There is an impact of technology on employment opportunities in almost every sector. So, this GD topic – ‘Impact of technology on Jobs’ is one of the most famous GD Topics.

The positive impact of Technology on jobs:

  • Technological innovations result in improved lifestyles, and hence consumerism increased and thereby results in more employment opportunities . For example, the industrial revolution created more jobs than it eliminated. If we take the example of 3D printing technology , building houses by 3D printing is a great technological innovation. Eventually, it will result in some job losses in the construction industry at least in the starting. But this innovation will result in creating more affordable homes and hence more and more people may want to buy a house. And so, with more consumers, more houses will be built and hence will create so many jobs but of a different kind.
  • Technology increases productivity and hence reduces the burden on workers and eliminates the burden of doing repetitive tasks. For this, workers need to learn some skills to stay employed. It’s just that the workers should be given training for the newly created jobs . If the government takes care of the reskilling of low-skilled workers, we can take advantage of the impact of technology on jobs.
  • Due to technology, demand for technically skilled youth is increasing and hence more jobs available for educated youth. This can solve the problem of educated unemployment to some extent.
  • Technology helps in the growth of the economy.  Companies that use technology will save so much money by replacing human labour with technological innovations. And thereby they expand their services. And as a result, they create more jobs. More employees will be added to the economy, and more revenue by taxes will come to the government. So, there will be economic growth . This economic growth can be utilised by the government to create more employment opportunities with better pay.
  • Technologies have the potential to create large scale jobs in rural areas and hence addresses the rural unemployment issue. Till now, jobs with better pay are concentrated in urban areas.

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The negative impact of Technology on jobs:

  • The immediate result of new technologies will be job losses because some jobs will become redundant. Machines and automation are replacing low-skilled workers. If any company do not replace human labour with technology, it is susceptible to losses due to heavy competition from other companies which use technology. So, it is inevitable for companies to catch up with the technologies. In this process, low-skilled workers will be the first section to be removed from the jobs. As a consequence of that, income inequalities are further widening.
  • Not just the low-skilled, and semi-skilled jobs, even high skilled job are at threat due to the new wave of technologies like Artificial intelligence . This can reduce the employment opportunities available for technically skilled persons.
  • At present, a gap in the career will be a big disadvantage due to changing and constantly improving technologies. This may force some women to stay at home after taking maternity leaves.
  • Technical advancement is forcing people to continuously update their knowledge to sustain themselves in the job market . This can be too overwhelming for some to balance work and personal life.

Conclusion:-

Technology changes the nature of jobs. Even though some jobs will become redundant, technological advancement has the potential to create many more employment opportunities than it eliminated. Continuous learning and updating the skills is the need of the hour.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you think technology is increasing unemployment? Express your views in the comment section below. Subscribe to our blog to read answers to trending GD topics.

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Technology, jobs, and the future of work

The world of work is in a state of flux, which is causing considerable anxiety—and with good reason. There is growing polarization of labor-market opportunities between high- and low-skill jobs, unemployment and underemployment especially among young people, stagnating incomes for a large proportion of households, and income inequality. Migration and its effects on jobs has become a sensitive political issue in many advanced economies. And from Mumbai to Manchester, public debate rages about the future of work and whether there will be enough jobs to gainfully employ everyone.

The development of automation enabled by technologies including robotics and artificial intelligence brings the promise of higher productivity (and with productivity, economic growth), increased efficiencies, safety, and convenience. But these technologies also raise difficult questions about the broader impact of automation on jobs, skills, wages, and the nature of work itself.

Many activities that workers carry out today have the potential to be automated. At the same time, job-matching sites such as LinkedIn and Monster are changing and expanding the way individuals look for work and companies identify and recruit talent. Independent workers are increasingly choosing to offer their services on digital platforms including Upwork, Uber, and Etsy and, in the process, challenging conventional ideas about how and where work is undertaken.

For policy makers, business leaders, and workers themselves, these shifts create considerable uncertainty, alongside the potential benefits. This briefing note aims to provide a fact base on the multiple trends and forces buffeting the world of work drawing on recent research by the McKinsey Global Institute and others.

Table of contents

Developments in employment, income, and skills

How automation and technology are affecting work, the challenges of digitization—and possible solutions.

impact of technology on jobs short essay

Challenges in labor markets are growing, household incomes in advanced economies have been stagnating, and there are increasing skill gaps among workers.

Labor markets are under strain, and talent is underutilized

Unemployment and underemployment are high around the world. In the United States and the 15 core European Union countries (EU-15), there are 285 million adults who are not in the labor force—and at least 100 million of them would like to work more. Some 30 to 45 percent of the working-age population around the world is underutilized—that is, unemployed, inactive, or underemployed. This translates into some 850 million people in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Brazil, China, and India alone. Most attention is paid to the unemployed portion of this number, and not enough to the underemployed and the inactive portions, which make up the majority of untapped human potential.

Almost 75 million youth are officially unemployed. Women represent one of the largest pools of untapped labor: globally, 655 million fewer women are economically active than men. In a “best-in-region” scenario in which all countries match the rate of improvement in gender gaps (in labor force participation, hours worked, and sector mix of employment) of the best-performing country in their region, $12 trillion more of annual GDP would be realized in 2025 , equivalent in size to the current GDP of Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom combined.

Household incomes in advanced economies have stagnated or fallen, fueling public disgruntlement

The vast majority of people derive incomes from jobs. In the United States, Western Europe, and across advanced economies, market incomes (from wages and capital) stagnated or fell for about two-thirds of households in 2005–14, a period marked by deep recession and slow recovery after the 2008 financial crisis. This was the first time incomes stopped advancing on such a scale since the stagflation era of the 1970s, and it may have helped stir popular opposition to globalization. The recession was a leading cause of the abrupt end to income advancement, but other longer-run factors also contributed, including a decline in the share of national income that is paid to workers, the so-called wage share. This has fallen across advanced economies despite rising productivity, suggesting a decoupling between productivity and incomes.

The decline is due in part to the growth of corporate profits as a share of national income, rising capital returns to technology investments, lower returns to labor from increased trade, rising rent incomes from home ownership, and increased depreciation on capital. Policy makers in the affected countries took action during the downturn to compensate for the income squeeze, in the former of lower taxes and higher transfers, but these were largely one-off measures to buoy disposable income in response to the recession, and not sustainable.

Globalization has brought numerous benefits, including lifting millions of people in emerging economies into the consuming class. But it also has had an impact in some sectors like manufacturing in advanced economies, with some jobs moving offshore. Better support could have been provided to help affected workers build new skills and transition into new sectors or occupations.

A survey we conducted in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States showed a significant proportion of those whose incomes stagnated are worried about their children’s economic prospects—a sharp departure after many decades in which it was an article of faith that every generation would enjoy higher living standards than their parents. Middle-income households have been the most affected, and young and less educated people are especially vulnerable. Across all age groups, medium- and low-skill workers have done worse than those with a college education. Many blame governments, global institutions, corporations, and establishment “elites” around the world, and the principles of free trade and open borders are under attack.

Getting practical about the future of work

Getting practical about the future of work

Skills, jobs, and locations do not always match, limiting income-earning opportunities for many.

Educational systems have not kept pace with the changing nature of work, resulting in many employers saying they cannot find enough workers with the skills they need. In a McKinsey survey of young people and employers in nine countries, 40 percent of employers said lack of skills was the main reason for entry-level job vacancies. Sixty percent said that new graduates were not adequately prepared for the world of work. There were gaps in technical skills such as STEM subject degrees but also in soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and punctuality. Conversely, even those in work may not be realizing their potential. In a recent global survey of job seekers conducted by LinkedIn, 37 percent of respondents said their current job does not fully utilize their skills or provide enough challenge.

Some of the mismatching is locational: where there is demand for work, there may not be available and qualified workers to be found. This geographic mismatch can be seen across regions within countries, and between countries.

Cross-border migration fills some skill gaps but can create tensions

Cross-border migration has been a natural consequence of a world in which people do not find attractive work opportunities in their country of origin, at a time when other economies are not adequately filling their skills gaps. Migration boosts global productivity , but its consequences are often feared by native workers, who face labor market disconnects and a lack of well-paid jobs.

In 2015, approximately 247 million people lived in a country not of their birth—a number that has almost tripled in the past 50 years. Most have gravitated to places where they believe they will find better jobs . More than 90 percent have moved voluntarily, and about half have moved from developing to developed countries. In the period 2000 to 2014, migration has provided about 40 percent of labor force growth in Canada, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Most migration consists of people moving to another country in the same part of the world.

Migrants made an absolute contribution to global output of roughly $6.7 trillion, or 9.4 percent of global GDP in 2015. However, migrant workers, on average, earn wages that are 20 to 30 percent lower than those of comparable native-born workers. More effective integration approaches could lay the groundwork for economic gains of up to $1 trillion globally, benefiting both economies and individuals.

In the context of challenging labor market conditions, popular sentiment has moved against immigration. Surveys conducted by MGI suggest that a significant proportion of middle- and low-income groups in advanced economies who are experiencing flat or falling real incomes are pessimistic about the future and likely to hold particularly negative views about immigrants.

Back to top

impact of technology on jobs short essay

New technologies have the potential to upend much of what we know about the way people work. But disruption is an opportunity as well as a challenge—given the promise of digital talent platforms and new options for independent work, for example.

Many activities that workers carry out today have the potential to be automated

Technological change has reshaped the workplace continually over the past two centuries since the Industrial Revolution, but the speed with which automation technologies are developing today, and the scale at which they could disrupt the world of work, are largely without precedent.

MGI research on the automation potential of the global economy, focusing on 46 countries representing about 80 percent of the global workforce, has examined more than 2,000 work activities and quantified the technical feasibility of automating each of them. The proportion of occupations that can be fully automated using currently demonstrated technology is actually small—less than 5 percent. An additional important finding is that even if whole occupations are not automated, partial automation (where only some activities that make up an occupation are automated) will affect almost all occupations to a greater or lesser degree. The impact will be felt not just by factory workers and clerks but also by landscape gardeners and dental lab technicians, fashion designers, insurance sales representatives, and even CEOs.

We find that about 60 percent of all occupations have at least 30 percent of activities that are technically automatable , based on currently demonstrated technologies. This means that most occupations will change, and more people will have to work with technology. Highly skilled workers working with technology will benefit. While low-skilled workers working with technology will be able to achieve more in terms of output and productivity, these workers may experience wage pressure, given the potentially larger supply of similarly low-skilled workers, unless demand for the occupation grows more than the expansion in labor supply.

On a global scale, we calculate that the adaptation of currently demonstrated automation technologies could affect 50 percent of the world economy , or 1.2 billion employees and $14.6 trillion in wages. Just four countries—China, India, Japan, and the United States—account for just over half of these totals. There are sizable differences in automation potential between countries, based mainly on the structure of their economies, the relative level of wages, and the size and dynamics of the workforce.

As machines evolve and acquire more advanced performance capabilities that match or exceed human capabilities, the adoption of automation will pick up. However, the technical feasibility to automate does not automatically translate into the deployment of automation in the workplace and the automation of jobs. Technical potential is only the first of several elements that must be considered. A second element is the cost of developing and deploying both the hardware and the software for automation. The supply-and-demand dynamics of labor are a third factor: if workers with sufficient skills for the given occupation are in abundant supply and significantly less expensive than automation, this could slow the rate of adoption. A fourth to be considered are the benefits of automation beyond labor substitution—including higher levels of output, better quality and fewer errors, and capabilities that surpass human ability.

Finally, regulatory and social issues, such as the degree to which machines are acceptable in any particular setting, must also be weighed. It is for these various reasons that go beyond purely technical feasibility of automation that our estimates for “whole-job” automation are lower than other estimates. Our scenarios suggest that it may take at least two decades before automation reaches 50 percent of all of today’s work activities, taking into account regions where wages are relatively low.

Technology can help labor markets: Digital talent platforms improve matching between workers and jobs

Digital talent platforms have the potential to improve the ways workers and jobs are matched, creating transparency and efficiency in labor markets, and potentially raising GDP. They can raise labor participation and working hours; evidence from around the world suggests that some people would work more hours if they could. A US survey, for example, reports that three-quarters of stay-at-home mothers would be likely to work if they had flexible options. Even if a small fraction of inactive youth and adults use these platforms to work a few hours per week, the economic impact would be significant.

With their powerful search capabilities and sophisticated screening algorithms, online talent platforms can also speed the hiring process and cut the time individuals spend searching between jobs, reducing unemployment. By aggregating data on candidates and job openings across entire countries or regions, they may address some geographic mismatches and enable matches that otherwise would not have come about.

Finally, online talent platforms help put the right people in the right jobs, thereby increasing their productivity along with their job satisfaction. They can draw people who are engaged in informal work into formal employment, especially in emerging economies. Both of these effects could increase output per worker, raising global GDP.

Digitally-enabled independent work is on the rise

While independent work is nothing new (and self-employment is still the predominant form of work in emerging economies), the digital enablement of it is. MGI research finds that 20 to 30 percent of the working age population in the United States and the European Union is engaged in independent work . Just over half of these workers supplement their income and have traditional jobs, or are students, retirees, or caregivers. While 70 percent choose this type of work, 30 percent use it out of necessity because they cannot find a traditional job at all, or one that meets their income and flexibility needs. The proportion of independent work that is conducted on digital platforms, while only about 15 percent of independent work overall, is growing rapidly, driven by the scale, efficiency, and ease of use for workers and customers that these platforms enable. Such platforms include Uber, Etsy, Didi, and others. While those who pursue independent work (digitally enabled or not) out of preference are generally satisfied; those who pursue it out of necessity are unsatisfied with the income variability and the lack of benefits typically associated with traditional work. Policy makers and innovators will need to grapple with solutions to these challenges.

Not to be forgotten—technology creates new jobs and income possibilities

Even while technologies replace some jobs, they are creating new work in industries that most of us cannot even imagine, and new ways to generate income. One-third of new jobs created in the United States in the past 25 years were types that did not exist, or barely existed, in areas including IT development, hardware manufacturing, app creation, and IT systems management. The net impact of new technologies on employment can be strongly positive. A 2011 study by McKinsey’s Paris office found that the Internet had destroyed 500,000 jobs in France in the previous 15 years—but at the same time had created 1.2 million others, a net addition of 700,000, or 2.4 jobs created for every job destroyed. The growing role of big data in the economy and business will create a significant need for statisticians and data analysts; we estimate a shortfall of up to 250,000 data scientists in the United States alone in a decade.

Digital technology also can enable new forms of entrepreneurial activity. Workers in small businesses and self-employed occupations can benefit from higher income earning opportunities. A new category of knowledge-enabled jobs will become possible as machines embed intelligence and knowledge that less-skilled workers can access with a little training. In India, for example, Google is rolling out the Internet Saathi (Friends of the Internet) program in which rural women are trained to use the Internet, and then become local agents who provide services in their villages through Internet-enabled devices. The services include working as local distributors for telecom products (phones, SIM cards, and data packs), field data collectors for research agencies, financial-services agents, and paratechnicians who help local people access government schemes and benefits through an Internet-based device.

impact of technology on jobs short essay

We have yet to reach the full potential of digitization across the global economy. Making sure that digital gains are accessible to all could provide significant value. And though other challenges, too, remain, they could be addressed by exploring several solution spaces—for instance, through evolving education systems or by pursuing public-private partnerships to stimulate investment in enabling infrastructure.

We are only starting to capture the opportunities from digitizing economies at the sector and company level

Digital technologies are creating major new opportunities for workers and companies, in both advanced and developing economies, but there are significant variations within and across countries and sectors. Our use of the term digitization (and our measurement of it), encompasses:

  • Digitization of assets, including infrastructure, connected machines, data, and data platforms;
  • Digitization of operations, including processes, payments and business models, and customer and supply chain interactions; and
  • Digitization of the workforce, including worker use of digital tools, digitally skilled workers, and new digital jobs and roles.

In measuring each of these various aspects of digitization, we find relatively large disparities even among big companies Based on these measures, a few sectors are highly digitized—for example, financial services, media, and the tech sector itself. These tend to be among the sectors with the highest productivity growth and wage growth. Many others are much less digitized, including healthcare, education, and even retail. These tend to be the largest share of the economy in terms of GDP and the lowest-productivity sectors. Similarly, companies are digitizing unevenly.

Companies that are digital leaders in their sectors have faster revenue growth and higher productivity than their less-digitized peers. Their profits and margins can increase three times as fast, and workers within these companies enjoy double the wage growth. Digitization will continue to change how companies organize work, as well as the mix of work in any given sector. All this will require ongoing adaptation and transition by workers in terms of skills, activities, companies, and even the sectors they work in.

Clearly, we are still in the early stages of how sectors and companies use digital technologies, and there is considerable unevenness. From country to country, too, there are significant divergences. Overall, for example, we estimate that the United States has captured only 18 percent of its potential from digital technologies, while Europe has captured only 12 percent . Emerging economies are even further behind, with countries in the Middle East and Brazil capturing less than 10 percent of their digital potential.

More than half the world’s population is still offline, limiting the potential to benefit from digital

Rapid technology adoption can unlock huge economic value, even as it implies major need for retraining and redeployment of labor. In India, for example, digital technologies provide the foundation for many innovations that could contribute $550 billion to $1 trillion of economic impact per year in 2025. However, the value of digitization that is captured depends on how many people and businesses have access to it.

More than four billion people, or over half of the world’s population, is still offline . About 75 percent of this offline population is concentrated in 20 countries, including Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Tanzania, and is disproportionately rural, low income, elderly, illiterate, and female. The value of connecting these people is significant, and as they enter the global digital economy, the world of work will transform in fundamental ways and at an unprecedented pace. Access to the technology alone is not enough; even in countries where a large majority of the population has access, the literacy and skills needed to capture digital gains are sometimes limited.

How to positively affect the future of work: Solution spaces

The disruptions to the world of work that digital technologies are likely to bring about could pose significant challenges to policy makers and business leaders, as well as workers. There are several solution spaces to consider:

References and further reading

McKinsey Global Institute research reports are available on www.mckinsey.com/mgi . For this briefing note, we have drawn on the following reports:

“ A future that works: Automation, employment, and productivity ,” McKinsey Global Institute, January 2017

“ People on the move: Global migration’s impact and opportunity ,” McKinsey Global Institute, December 2016

“ Independent work: Choice, necessity, and the gig economy ,” McKinsey Global Institute, October 2016

“ Where machines could replace humans, and where they can’—yet ,” McKinsey Quarterly, July 2016

“ Digital America: A tale of the haves and have-mores ,” McKinsey Global Institute, December 2015

“ The four fundamentals of automation ,” McKinsey Quarterly , November 2015

“ The power of parity: How advancing women’s equality can add $12 trillion to global growth ,” McKinsey Global Institute, September 2015

“ A labor market that works: Connecting talent with opportunity in the digital age ,” McKinsey Global Institute, June 2015

“ Offline and falling behind: Barriers to Internet adoption ,” McKinsey & Company, October 2014

Other reading:

Autor, David, “ Why are there still so many jobs? The history and future of workplace automation ,” Journal of Economic Perspectives , Summer 2015

Autor, David, David Dorn, and Gordon Hanson, “ Untangling trade and technology: Evidence from local labor markets ,” The Economic Journal , May 2015

Brynjolffson, Erik and Andrew McAfee, The second machine age: Work, progress, and prosperity in a time of brilliant technologies , WW Norton, 2014

Furman, Jason, “ Is this time different? The opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence ,” remarks at AI conference in New York, July 7, 2016

Milanovic, Branko, Global inequality: A new approach for the age of globalization , Harvard University Press, 2016

Sundararajan, Arun, The sharing economy: The end of employment and the rise of crowd,   MIT Press, 2016

  • Evolve education systems and learning for a changed workplace. Policy makers working with education providers (traditional and nontraditional) could do more to improve basic STEM skills through the school systems, put a new emphasis on creativity as well as critical and systems thinking, and foster adaptive and life-long learning.
  • Determine how the private sector can drive training. Companies face gaps in skills they need in a more technology-enabled workplace. They could benefit from playing a more active role in education and training, including providing better information about needs to learners and the education and training ecosystem, and proving better learning opportunities themselves.
  • Create incentives for private-sector investment to treat human capital like other capital. Through tax benefits and other incentives, policy makers can encourage companies to invest in human capital, including job creation, learning and capability building, and wage growth.
  • Explore public-private partnerships to stimulate investment in enabling infrastructure. The lack of digital infrastructure is holding back digital benefits in many economies, both developing and developed; public-private partnerships could help address market failures.
  • Rethink incomes. If automation (full or partial) does result in a significant reduction in employment or greater pressure on wages, some ideas such as universal basic income, conditional transfers, and adapted social safety nets could be considered and tested.
  • Rethink transition support and safety nets for workers affected. As work evolves at higher rates of change between sectors, locations, activities, and skill requirements, many workers will need assistance adjusting. Many best-practice approaches to transition safety nets are available and should be adopted and adapted, and new approaches considered and tested.
  • Embrace technology-enabled solutions. Such solutions, including richer information signals, can be used in the labor market to improve matching and access and bridge skills gaps. Policy makers will need to address issues such as benefits and variability that these digital platforms can raise.
  • Focus on job creation. Accelerate the creation of jobs in general through stimulating investment in businesses, and accelerate the creation of digital jobs in particular—and digitally enabled opportunities to earn income—including through new forms of entrepreneurship.
  • Innovate how humans work alongside machines. Greater interaction will raise productivity but require different and often higher skills, new technology interfaces, different wage models in some cases, and different types of investments by businesses and workers to acquire skills.
  • Capture the productivity benefits of technology. These can be harnessed to create the economic growth, surpluses, and demand for work that create room for creative solutions and ultimately benefit all.

This briefing note was originally prepared for the Fortune + Time Global Forum in Vatican City in December 2016; it was updated in May 2017.

Stay current on your favorite topics

James Manyika is director of the McKinsey Global Institute and a senior partner in McKinsey’s San Francisco office. MGI partners Michael Chui , Anu Madgavkar , and Susan Lund contributed to this briefing note.

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Joblessness: The Effects of Technology on U.S. Jobs

impact of technology on jobs short essay

KAT BLESIE – NOVEMBER 22, 2018

The United States has often seen powerful people preaching the importance of working hard and staying busy. Our “bully pulpit” president Theodore Roosevelt once remarked that he’d rather risk wearing out than rusting out. Yet millions of people today find themselves at odds with this once uncompromised ideal of a steady, nine-to-five job that, for the baby-boomer generation, was all but guaranteed. The numbers speak for themselves, especially data from the manufacturing industry, a sector of the economy that is particularly useful to analyze because of the huge chunk that it has, historically, taken up of the U.S.’s economic pie. In the past 20 years the number of manufacturing jobs in the United States has dropped by  almost 30%. Between 2000 and 2017 employment in manufacturing fell by  5.5 million jobs . Perhaps more surprisingly, the percentage of prime-age men who have no job and aren’t looking for a job has doubled  since the 1970s —a statistic that suggests that our employment crisis is not just material in nature but psychological, as well.

Most economists agree that one of the leading propagators of this loss of U.S. jobs is the exponential growth of the use of technology in industry to increase efficiency and output.  Economists have been nervous about technology’s effect on jobs for years—almost a century ago, in 1929,  John Keynes warned that rapid technological change would reduce the demand for labor and lead to astounding rates of unemployment. Increasingly we see jobs that were once performed by humans being done by machines—cashiers have become ‘self-checkouts’, factory workers have been replaced (in some cases) by robots, and cars have begun to drive themselves. It’s true that technology makes jobs too—yet perhaps not at the rate that proponents of automation have advertised. 90 percent of workers today are employed in jobs that existed 100 years ago, and only five per cent of the jobs created in the twenty-year period between 1993 and 2013 came from  high tech sectors. Researchers at Oxford university have predicted that, twenty years from now, machines may be able to perform half of all American jobs. The repercussions that America faces as a result of the decline in manufacturing run deeper than just unemployment—in many of the areas that were once hubs of industry we can now observe a  surge of opioid use and opioid related deaths.

Of course technology isn’t the only threat impinging on US employment. In the realm of manufacturing, especially,  recent economic analysis has shown that trade deficits might actually shoulder much of the blame for manufacturing job loss. The US Census Bureau reported in 2015 that the U.S. has run a goods trade deficit in every year since 1974, and with  more than 75% of U.S. traded goods being manufactured goods, it’s manufacturing jobs that are taking the hit.

impact of technology on jobs short essay

An interesting sub-group of scholars and economists has surfaced (or resurfaced) in the past ten years which argues that the end of jobs, for lack of a better phrase, might not actually be a bad thing. One such thinker, Peter Frase, says that we are conflating the way in which we earn income with the activities that give our life meaning. Frase, along with a select few, actually encourage the end of labor. Benjamin Hunnicutt, a historian at the University of Iowa,  believes that America has an irrational belief in work for work’s sake . “Purpose, meaning, identity, fulfillment, creativity, autonomy—all these things that positive psychology has shown us to be necessary for well-being are absent in the average job.” This may all very well be true – but people need to eat, don’t they? Most jobless people today aren’t relishing in their newfound freedom to do meaningful, creative things—they are worrying about where their next meal will come from, and how they will pay their bills. Frase and his contemporaries are not the first to champion the cause of a leisure driven future—acclaimed 20 th century philosopher and social critic Bertrand Russell argued in his essay, In Praise of Idleness, that since the industrial revolution humans have theoretically been able to live with labor taking up a much smaller proportion of their lives than it does. In his words , “only a foolish asceticism, usually vicarious, makes us continue to insist on work in excessive quantities now that the need no longer exists”.  These arguments are based on a viable—if not wildly optimistic—premise: why shouldn’t recent advancements in technology be used to shift the labor force, instead of replacing it? Why are we so scared of automation? What causes the cultural majority to identify more with the 19 th century Luddite than the 21 st century technocrat?

Well, perhaps it is the fact that the four most common jobs in American today (salesperson, cashier, office clerk, and food server) are all jobs at risk of being replaced entirely by automation. Some economists now argue that our increasingly inequitable wage structure has technology to thank. Prior to the 20 th century, technology introduced to the labor market was actually relatively unbiased with respect to skill level—in fact, the major technological invention of   “interchangeable parts” that arose in the 20 th century put mainly skilled artisans out of work. So why do we see such a heavy skill bias in technology today?  Many economists agree that rising returns to education and an increase in the supply of educated workers has caused this skill bias in technology. As MIT economist Daron Acemoglu writes , if we weren’t facing a skill bias then the aforementioned increase in supply of skilled labor would have depressed the skill premium. Instead, we’ve seen the relative demand for skilled labor rise. Acemoglu emphasizes that we should view technology as an endogenous factor—an outcome of decisions made in industries, rather than an outside force acting on the labor market.  This in turn suggests that the increased skill bias of technology in the past 40 is a result of the increase in the supply of skilled workers that came about, in part, because of an increased Vietnam-era push for increased participation in higher education. Why? Because technical change moves towards more profitable areas. Profitability is determined by the price effect and the market size effect. As Acemoglu writes , ceteris paribus, it is most profitable to introduce capital that will be used by a larger number of workers, and, as a consequence of this, a labor market with a high proportion of skilled laborers makes the production of “skill-complementary” machines and technologies highly profitable,

Policy makers, heads of state, and others with a significant say in the direction of our economic policies acknowledge that many workers fear that they won’t have a job in a month, or a year, or a decade. In our most recent presidential race we saw the winning candidate run on a platform which focused, in part, on re-invigorating the automobile manufacturing industry (an industry in which jobs took a huge hit, in large part due to automation). Economic research institutes, perhaps with less self-motivated interests, have also highlighted increasing automation as a problem area of interest.  McKinsey Global Institute, in a 2017 executive briefing, proposed several potential steps to take in our increasingly digitized and automated world. They included implementing a universal basic income, improving STEM learning in young children, and incentivizing corporations to treat human capital like they would any other capital.  It remains to be seen if, and to what degree, technological innovation will widen the gap between skilled and unskilled workers, although if returns to education continue to increase, and Acemoglu’s analysis proves correct, it seems likely that technology will continue to put lower-skilled jobs at risk of replacement.

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Disclaimer: The views published in this journal are those of the individual authors or speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of  Berkeley Economic Review  staff, the UC Berkeley Economics Department and faculty,  or the University of California, Berkeley in general.

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The future of jobs: 2 experts explain how technology is transforming ‘almost every task’

Experts explain the future of jobs

Future of jobs: 75% of organizations are planning to introduce AI over the next five years. Image:  Unsplash/Sigmund

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impact of technology on jobs short essay

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Stay up to date:, davos agenda.

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  • Technology is continuing to shift almost every job role, whether it’s in a factory or behind a desk.
  • The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2023 finds most technologies will have a positive impact on jobs in the coming five years.
  • But almost a quarter of jobs will change as various impacts, including the green transition, play out.
  • Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO at Coursera, the online learning company, and Saadia Zahidi, World Economic Forum Managing Director, discuss the report's implications for employers and workers.

“We're pretty much all in the same boat, whether you are a factory worker or on the frontlines or whether you're a knowledge worker sitting behind a desk. Technology is shifting the way almost every job task will be performed.”

This was the verdict of Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO at Coursera, the online learning company, on the challenges ahead for employers and jobseekers in a rapidly transforming world of work. He was commenting on the Future of Jobs Report 2023 from the World Economic Forum, into which Coursera contributed data.

It is not surprising that new technology adoption and digitalization continue as the top two drivers of business and job transformation.

Macrotrends driving business transformation. Future of Jobs Report 2023

While the net impact of most technologies on jobs is expected to be positive over the next five years, employers predict a structural labour market churn of 23% of jobs – a combination of 10.2% job growth and 12.3% decline.

In addition, 44% of workers’ skills will be disrupted during that period, with cognitive problem-solving moving into the foreground, followed by analytical thinking and technology literacy.

The Forum's Radio Davos podcast spoke to Jeff Maggioncalda as well as Forum Managing Director, Saadia Zahidi, about the skills we will need to adjust to a rapidly changing world - and more findings from the report. Below are some of their key quotes.

Future of Jobs Report 2023: Almost half of workers' skills will need to change.

What is the Future of Jobs Report?

"Every couple of years, we extensively survey Chief Executive Officers, Chief Human Resources Officers, Chief Strategy Officers, and ask them what they think is currently impacting the world of work," says Zahidi.

"What are the technologies they're likely to adopt? What are the other megatrends that they will be facing? And then what does that mean for specific jobs within their company, within their industry? What does that mean for skills and what does that mean for how they acquire and develop talent?

"This is the fourth time we've done this and we're covering about 45 countries and 27 different industry clusters. The overall population of workers that is represented by these employers is about 11.3 million. Globally that represents nearly 673 million types of jobs that we're able to say something about."

Have you read?

Future of jobs 2023: these are the fastest growing and fastest declining jobs, the future of jobs is green: how climate change is changing labour markets, what trends are most affecting the jobs market.

"Uncertainty is really key here when it comes to some of those macro trends," says Zahidi.

"There are some very positive ones. So it's clear that the investments in the green transition will be very positive for jobs. It's clear that ESG standards and their widespread application across different companies and industries is likely to add to growth.

"At the same time, there is a potential risk of a prolonged economic downturn. There continues to be high inflation that impacts input costs, but also impacts the purchasing power of consumers. Those are likely to be trends that will negatively end up impacting jobs."

But the picture is more mixed when it comes to "the subject of the day": technological change and how fast companies are adopting technologies, adds Zahidi.

"For about half of companies, they expect the outlook for jobs to be very positive, but a quarter of companies expect the outlook for jobs to be quite negative. It depends on specific technologies, but it's not quite as positive as the green transition and not quite as negative as some of the economic trends we see."

Top 10 technology adoption. Future of Jobs report 2023

What impact can we expect generative AI to have on jobs and skills?

Zahidi says: "We've been looking at both automation and other forms of technological change for some time. We've tried to build a sense of what we call the human-machine frontier. What types of tasks and skills are getting automated? On average, the respondents to our survey do not find that tasks are more automatable today than they were three years ago.

"The automation of physical and manual work is no more accelerated than it was three years ago. To some extent that's because it's been occurring already.

"But when it comes to very human traits like coordinating between people, like helping with decision-making and reasoning or communicating, that's where actually you see an uptick. That's where you see a greater prediction around automation than before.

"It's not surprising because we've all seen what is happening with generative AI and how fast that's getting adopted across various industries. That's exactly where there's some prediction that we're likely to see further disruption.

Future of jobs - Human machine frontier

How will AI affect job profiles?

AI and Big Data jointly rank only 15th as a general core skill today. However, it is already the number three priority in company training strategies from now until 2027. For very large organizations with over 50,000 employees, it even gets top billing. Across industries, 75% of organizations are planning to introduce AI over the next five years.

“Our founder, Andrew Ng, is often quoted as saying AI is the new electricity," says Maggioncalda. "It's going to infuse everything in society. Some people are calling it a general purpose technology. It will change everything.

“Whether you're ready or not, almost anything digital is going to change and become AI enabled.”

The Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2023 report outlined the technologies poised to positively impact society in the next few years, from health technology to AI to sustainable computing.

The World Economic Forum’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution is driving responsible technology governance, enabling industry transformation, addressing planetary health, and promoting equity and inclusion.

Learn more about our impact:

  • Digital inclusion: Our EDISON Alliance is mobilizing leaders from across sectors to accelerate digital inclusion, having positively impacted the lives of 454 million people through the activation of 250 initiatives across 90 countries.
  • AI in developing economies: Our Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Rwanda is promoting the adoption of new technologies in the country, enabling over 4,000 daily health consultations using AI.
  • Innovative healthcare: Our Medicine from the Sky initiative is using drones to deliver medicine to remote areas in India, completing over 950 successful drone flights.
  • AI for agriculture: We are working with the Government of India to scale up agricultural technology in the country, helping more than 7,000 farmers monitor the health of their crops and soil using AI.

Want to know more about our centre’s impact or get involved? Contact us .

Can you explain the churn happening with jobs?

Overall, we're seeing quite a lot of change when it comes to the future of jobs, says Zahidi.

"Over the last three years, we've seen the pandemic greatly disrupt a number of workforces. We've been seeing geopolitical disruptions that have also affected various industries, everything from travel and tourism to food and energy production. Workers are reticent to join the workforce again. Those industries have changed so much, and the skills demanded are so different, that those industries are struggling to find the skill sets they need.

"When it comes to layoffs in certain industries, they went through a massive expansion in the midst of the pandemic and are now going through a readjustment. But the overall numbers in most advanced markets point to very tight labour markets.

"We can't forget about the number of emerging and developing economies also covered by this survey, where there's the opposite concern: there still isn't a recovery to pre-pandemic levels of unemployment and which was already fairly high at that period of time, especially for youth."

Total job growth and loss. Future of Jobs report 2023

Which jobs will see the most growth?

Zahidi says three core areas emerge as areas of high job growth, both relative to their current size and also when it comes to absolute changes.

"The highest amount of growth is expected to be in sectors that require green jobs and green skills: from specialists in sustainability to those working on green energy production, renewable energy sources, renewable energy engineers, solar energy installation. These are all areas that are likely to grow in line with the types of investments we're seeing governments make and the incentives that they're creating for companies to invest in those areas.

Jobs that are expected to grow and decline, according to the Future of Jobs Report 2023, by the World Economic Forum.

"But when it comes to the largest absolute gains, the largest numbers of jobs being created, that is really going to be coming from education and from agriculture. There's likely to be about 10% growth in the education industry as a whole, leading to about 3 million additional jobs for vocational education teachers and university and higher education teachers. When it comes to agricultural professionals, we're expecting that agriculture equipment operators, graders and sorters are expected to see a 15 to 30% increase, leading to about an additional 4 million jobs."

Which skills are employers now seeking?

The Future of Jobs Report 2023 shows the skills organizations consider to be central to their work - cognitive skills come out on top.

Cognitive skills top the list, according to the Future of Jobs Report 2023.

"There's more of a focus and an interest in having people with analytical thinking, people with creativity," says Zahidi.

"But it's also become very important to have leadership skills and to have social influence, and the ability to work with other people. The traits that make us human, make us able to relate with each other and to get innovative, creative things done in the workplace.

"At the same time, I don't want to downplay how much interest there is from employers in ensuring their workers are able to use the new technologies that have emerged in the workplace, understand them better and improve their productivity.

"So it's this unique combination of analytical and creativity, analytical skills and creativity along with leadership and social influence, and the ability to actually use technology, especially Big Data."

How can we best upskill and reskill people to adapt to these trends?

“Organizations are realizing that they are going to have to retool," says Maggioncalda. "We're going to need a different kind of talent, or at least people with different talents that are associated with keeping up with change.

“In a remote work world, where there are lots of notifications and chatter all over the place, just staying focused on a job task is very challenging. I do think this whole idea of to what degree an individual can perform well in intense periods of change and uncertainty, and working with diverse global teams – that is going to be important."

"Nearly half of the skills that people like you and I are using every single day in the workplace are going to have to change in the next 4 to 5 years alone," adds Zahidi.

"That means we need very rapid reskilling and upskilling - a lot of workers can be self-motivated and will do that. But in many cases, it's employers themselves that are going to need to provide that reskilling and upskilling. In other cases, governments are going to need to provide a lot more support."

the Future of Jobs 2023 report finds little correlation between this strategic direction and an increase in skills training for their employees.

While companies say they are prioritizing AI, the Future of Jobs 2023 report finds little correlation between this strategic direction and an increase in skills training for their employees.

Similarly, universities struggle with adapting to this ongoing change, Maggioncalda says.

“We're going to be looking at a hybrid kind of higher education where industry plays a bigger role, brought into the universities through partnership” – a model Coursera is already working on with the likes of the University of Pennsylvania, Imperial College London and the University of London.

In this way, Maggioncalda explains, students can get the best of both worlds: a college degree with the associated academic rigour and broader educational background, as well as deeper, job-related skills.

And there is also a major role for governments to play, with 45% of businesses surveyed stating that funding skills training would be an effective way for governments to support talent acquisition. Government funding for upskilling and reskilling outranks greater employment flexibility, tax incentives, improving school systems and changes to immigration law.

"There's another angle to this," adds Zahidi, "which is employers simply have to think very differently about skills instead of relying on very traditional signals of what indicates a skill in a person. Is it really where they got their degree from, what type of degree they had, or which workplace they worked in 10 years ago? Or is it actually what they're able to demonstrate in the workplace?"

Future of jobs - workforce strategies

How are employers changing the way they look at skills?

Employers increasingly assess job applicants’ skills, rather than base employment decisions on a university degree, the Future of Jobs 2023 study finds.

“Companies say that they're moving to skills-based hiring, but there's still a question of, well, how do you observe the skills in the absence of a college degree or other learning credentials, in the absence of work experience,” Maggioncalda points out. “How do you know if someone has the skills?”

Only a fifth of employers consider the completion of short courses and online certificates – so-called “micro-credentials” – as one of their top three assessment criteria. Opening up to those could enable them to tap into previously inaccessible talent pools, ranging from lower-income learners to parents who want to return to work.

Zahidi says: "If employers take a more skills-first approach when it comes to hiring, retention, promotions, they'll actually be able to assess people on the basis of what they really know and what they're able to do. They're also able to then target much more specifically their reskilling and upskilling programmes.

"The other big win out of this is that if you pull the skills-first agenda forward and move a little bit away from university credentials and other more traditional signals, many more people have an opportunity because it doesn't mean that we're limited to the pool of people that have been to a specific type of degree or accreditation.

"There's no evidence that people that haven't been to university aren't able to reskill or upskill towards very specific areas that companies need more talent in. So it solves a lot of problems at the same time, provides upward social mobility, helps companies find the right talent, and allows governments to focus much more on broad based prosperity rather than more limited support for specific parts of the workforce."

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What Impact Does Technology Have on Jobs?

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Laurence chandy , lc laurence chandy former brookings expert, director of data, research and policy - unicef kemal derviş , and kemal derviş vice president and director steven rocker sr steven rocker project coordinator and research assistant.

February 1, 2013

In keeping with the mood of economic despondency, there has been lots of pessimistic talk in the U.S. and the rest of the industrial world about innovation in today’s economy, or the lack thereof. For instance, Tyler Cowen’s best-selling e-book The Great Stagnation argues that innovation is occurring at a slowing rate and that the innovation that is taking place, such as through the application of the Internet, has had a relatively limited impact on living standards and job creation. In a similar vein, the economist Bob Gordon hypothesizes in a recent paper that the presumption of continuous growth can no longer be taken for granted when today’s innovations do not generate sustained improvements in labor productivity. One area where everyone agrees that technological change is making a difference is in driving a wedge between high- and low-skilled wages, leading to widening inequality and a stagnant median income since the 1990s.

One of the questions posed at the Brookings Blum Roundtable was to what degree these concerns have salience in the developing world, especially in low-income countries. Because developing countries stand some distance from the global productivity frontier, a speculative slowdown in technological development or a decline in the impact of these technologies should not concern them. They can continue to raise their prosperity by harnessing the existing technologies employed in the West. However, that still leaves the question of the impact of technology on jobs.

Read the full chapter  »

Global Economy and Development

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April 2, 2024

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Impact of Technology on Jobs Essay Sample

Technology is rapidly changing jobs. Will your dream job still be around in a decade? What skills are employers currently on the lookout for? Whether you find that you excel in every new advancement, or struggle to keep up with the changes, it’s effect on our day-to-day lives is undisputable. Modern technological developments have immensely changed the way we live and in particular, the way we work. With the job market a competitive and constantly evolving arena, determining your career path is more than just following your passions and skills, it’s about being adaptable in this age of technology and understanding what skills and jobs are in high demand, and which are facing potential extinction. It’s important to change your mindset and embrace the opportunities technology brings, through focusing on the right skills to increase your employability and succeed in the new tech-savvy work scene.

Although technological innovation offers many new and exciting career paths and opportunities, there is also the downside of careers becoming ultimately obsolete, leaving people without a job. This isn’t a recent issue either, we’ve been experiencing years of machines replacing sheer muscle power as the routine, autonomous tasks are being taken over by technology. With the internet serving a plethora of information, jobs like for example the average travel agent have been almost wiped out because of online websites that allow us to find the cheapest deals for flights with just a click of a button. We are seeing an increase in ‘self-service’ with  airport check-ins and grocery store checkouts opting for automation and it completely outdoes employees. It’s these entry-level and part-time jobs where we are seeing technological systems making the biggest impact. We’ve also witnessed other societal issues emerging, such as businesses going to ruin with technology replacing products. Remember when you had to actually go to a video store to rent a DVD? Or when libraries were a place people went to to rent a book or two? In order to keep up to date with the latest trends in IT, businesses are beginning to embrace technology in recruitment, operations, marketing, and production. With new IT products like Netflix, iTunes, and eBooks, products are moving from the tangible to digital at a rapid rate, causing countless stores to go out of business. Newspapers and magazines are struggling to sell copies, with many people preferring to use technology as a means to get the latest headlines and gossip. The music industry isn’t safe either, with the amount of illegal piracy that goes on, it results in a dramatic decrease in disc sales.

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Impact of Technology on Jobs

March 7, 2024

Will technology impacts on jobs?

On this page, you can find the positive and negative impacts for the group discussion topic “Impact of technology on jobs.”

Page Highlights:

  • Impact of technology on jobs—Pros
  • Impact of technology on jobs—Cons

Impact of technology on jobs

Extempore Topic: Impact of technology on jobs

About the topic:-.

This topic checks how much the candidates are in touch with the technological advances of current times. This is a common topic, asked in engineering job interviews. There can be two sides to this group discussion, one side which states the pros and other side states the cons. This topic also checks how the candidates are prepared for future and how confident they are.

The positive impact of technology on jobs:

  • Technology improves the productivity and reduces the burden on workers.
  • It also helps to reduce the time of work.
  • Due to increase in technology, demand for technically skilled youth is increasing and hence more jobs available for educated youth. This can solve the problem of educated unemployment to some extent.
  • To some extent, technologies can also saves lives of people. For example, In construction site, there may be some accidental issues where robots or technological equipments can be used.
  • Computers are better than humans at computing and analyzing data. Nowadays, banks are using computer algorithms to do data entry for their customers. This is because the error margin becomes zero when the technology does the computation rather than a human.
  • In the telemarketing industry and customer service lines, chatbots are being actively used in these industries and are being favored for their 24/7 assistance.
  • Technologies have the potential to create large scale jobs in rural areas and hence addresses the rural unemployment issue.

impact of technology on jobs short essay

In recent times technology has been the hot thing and is becoming more common and accessible to the world. Technologies do work more efficiently and give better results than a human work results.

The negative impact of technology on jobs:

  • Our cognitive ability differentiates us from all the creatures on planet earth.
  • Humans can feel emotions for each other which influences our decisions and actions.
  • With the increase in technology, many of the industries get automated by machines which result in a decrease in the involvement of human beings.
  • An AI-induced machine can never feel so, it is programmed to undergo certain tasks based on certain conditions. But it can never think on its own and make decisions.
  • With also increase in technology, humans become lazy.
  • Even though AI today is replacing humans in many jobs, customers are almost always more satisfied with humans than with AIs.
  • For example, nowadays customer service executives are being replaced by AIs, especially chatbots. Surveys show that most customers prefer talking to an agent to chatting with a bot. Although they enjoy the quick response of the bot, in several situations a bot cannot function properly. Like to settle a dispute or if a customer has some issues with the product and needs a refund. In this case, customers prefer a human with whom they can reason over a chatbot.

If the technology grows on, definitely there will be unemployment issue. Though there occurs some employment, those employment opportunities will be given to the skilled persons only. On the other end, there will be no scope of unskilled persons.

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Does technology help or hurt employment?

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This is part 2 of a two-part MIT News feature examining new job creation in the U.S. since 1940, based on new research from Ford Professor of Economics David Autor. Part 1 is available here .

Ever since the Luddites were destroying machine looms, it has been obvious that new technologies can wipe out jobs. But technical innovations also create new jobs: Consider a computer programmer, or someone installing solar panels on a roof.

Overall, does technology replace more jobs than it creates? What is the net balance between these two things? Until now, that has not been measured. But a new research project led by MIT economist David Autor has developed an answer, at least for U.S. history since 1940.

The study uses new methods to examine how many jobs have been lost to machine automation, and how many have been generated through “augmentation,” in which technology creates new tasks. On net, the study finds, and particularly since 1980, technology has replaced more U.S. jobs than it has generated.

“There does appear to be a faster rate of automation, and a slower rate of augmentation, in the last four decades, from 1980 to the present, than in the four decades prior,” says Autor, co-author of a newly published paper detailing the results.

However, that finding is only one of the study’s advances. The researchers have also developed an entirely new method for studying the issue, based on an analysis of tens of thousands of U.S. census job categories in relation to a comprehensive look at the text of U.S. patents over the last century. That has allowed them, for the first time, to quantify the effects of technology over both job loss and job creation.

Previously, scholars had largely just been able to quantify job losses produced by new technologies, not job gains.

“I feel like a paleontologist who was looking for dinosaur bones that we thought must have existed, but had not been able to find until now,” Autor says. “I think this research breaks ground on things that we suspected were true, but we did not have direct proof of them before this study.”

The paper, “ New Frontiers: The Origins and Content of New Work, 1940-2018 ,” appears in the Quarterly Journal of Economics . The co-authors are Autor, the Ford Professor of Economics; Caroline Chin, a PhD student in economics at MIT; Anna Salomons, a professor in the School of Economics at Utrecht University; and Bryan Seegmiller SM ’20, PhD ’22, an assistant professor at the Kellogg School of Northwestern University.

Automation versus augmentation

The study finds that overall, about 60 percent of jobs in the U.S. represent new types of work, which have been created since 1940. A century ago, that computer programmer may have been working on a farm.

To determine this, Autor and his colleagues combed through about 35,000 job categories listed in the U.S. Census Bureau reports, tracking how they emerge over time. They also used natural language processing tools to analyze the text of every U.S. patent filed since 1920. The research examined how words were “embedded” in the census and patent documents to unearth related passages of text. That allowed them to determine links between new technologies and their effects on employment.

“You can think of automation as a machine that takes a job’s inputs and does it for the worker,” Autor explains. “We think of augmentation as a technology that increases the variety of things that people can do, the quality of things people can do, or their productivity.”

From about 1940 through 1980, for instance, jobs like elevator operator and typesetter tended to get automated. But at the same time, more workers filled roles such as shipping and receiving clerks, buyers and department heads, and civil and aeronautical engineers, where technology created a need for more employees. 

From 1980 through 2018, the ranks of cabinetmakers and machinists, among others, have been thinned by automation, while, for instance, industrial engineers, and operations and systems researchers and analysts, have enjoyed growth.

Ultimately, the research suggests that the negative effects of automation on employment were more than twice as great in the 1980-2018 period as in the 1940-1980 period. There was a more modest, and positive, change in the effect of augmentation on employment in 1980-2018, as compared to 1940-1980.

“There’s no law these things have to be one-for-one balanced, although there’s been no period where we haven’t also created new work,” Autor observes.

What will AI do?

The research also uncovers many nuances in this process, though, since automation and augmentation often occur within the same industries. It is not just that technology decimates the ranks of farmers while creating air traffic controllers. Within the same large manufacturing firm, for example, there may be fewer machinists but more systems analysts.

Relatedly, over the last 40 years, technological trends have exacerbated a gap in wages in the U.S., with highly educated professionals being more likely to work in new fields, which themselves are split between high-paying and lower-income jobs.

“The new work is bifurcated,” Autor says. “As old work has been erased in the middle, new work has grown on either side.”

As the research also shows, technology is not the only thing driving new work. Demographic shifts also lie behind growth in numerous sectors of the service industries. Intriguingly, the new research also suggests that large-scale consumer demand also drives technological innovation. Inventions are not just supplied by bright people thinking outside the box, but in response to clear societal needs.

The 80 years of data also suggest that future pathways for innovation, and the employment implications, are hard to forecast. Consider the possible uses of AI in workplaces.

“AI is really different,” Autor says. “It may substitute some high-skill expertise but may complement decision-making tasks. I think we’re in an era where we have this new tool and we don’t know what’s good for. New technologies have strengths and weaknesses and it takes a while to figure them out. GPS was invented for military purposes, and it took decades for it to be in smartphones.”

He adds: “We’re hoping our research approach gives us the ability to say more about that going forward.”

As Autor recognizes, there is room for the research team’s methods to be further refined. For now, he believes the research open up new ground for study.

“The missing link was documenting and quantifying how much technology augments people’s jobs,” Autor says. “All the prior measures just showed automation and its effects on displacing workers. We were amazed we could identify, classify, and quantify augmentation. So that itself, to me, is pretty foundational.”

Support for the research was provided, in part, by The Carnegie Corporation; Google; Instituut Gak; the MIT Work of the Future Task Force; Schmidt Futures; the Smith Richardson Foundation; and the Washington Center for Equitable Growth.

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impact of technology on jobs short essay

The Impact of Digital Technologies

Technologies can help make our world fairer, more peaceful, and more just. Digital advances can support and accelerate achievement of each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals – from ending extreme poverty to reducing maternal and infant mortality, promoting sustainable farming and decent work, and achieving universal literacy. But technologies can also threaten privacy, erode security and fuel inequality. They have implications for human rights and human agency. Like generations before, we – governments, businesses and individuals – have a choice to make in how we harness and manage new technologies.

A DIGITAL FUTURE FOR ALL?

Digital technologies have advanced more rapidly than any innovation in our history – reaching around 50 per cent of the developing world’s population in only two decades and transforming societies. By enhancing connectivity, financial inclusion, access to trade and public services, technology can be a great equaliser.

In the health sector, for instance, AI-enabled frontier technologies are helping to save lives, diagnose diseases and extend life expectancy. In education, virtual learning environments and distance learning have opened up programmes to students who would otherwise be excluded. Public services are also becoming more accessible and accountable through blockchain-powered systems, and less bureaucratically burdensome as a result of AI assistance.Big data can also support more responsive and accurate policies and programmes.

However, those yet to be connected remain cut off from the benefits of this new era and remain further behind. Many of the people left behind are women, the elderly, persons with disabilities or from ethnic or linguistic minorities, indigenous groups and residents of poor or remote areas. The pace of connectivity is slowing, even reversing, among some constituencies. For example, globally, the proportion of women using the internet is 12 per cent lower than that of men. While this gap narrowed in most regions between 2013 and 2017, it widened in the least developed countries from 30 per cent to 33 per cent.

The use of algorithms can replicate and even amplify human and systemic bias where they function on the basis of data which is not adequately diverse. Lack of diversity in the technology sector can mean that this challenge is not adequately addressed.

THE FUTURE OF WORK

Throughout history, technological revolutions have changed the labour force: creating new forms and patterns of work, making others obsolete, and leading to wider societal changes. This current wave of change is likely to have profound impacts. For example, the International Labour Organization estimates that the shift to a greener economy could create 24 million new jobs globally by 2030 through the adoption of sustainable practices in the energy sector, the use of electric vehicles and increasing energy efficiency in existing and future buildings.

Meanwhile, reports by groups such as McKinsey suggest that 800 million people could lose their jobs to automation by 2030 , while polls reveal that the majority of all employees worry that they do not have the necessary training or skills to get a well-paid job.

There is broad agreement that managing these trends will require changes in our approach to education, for instance, by placing more emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and maths; by teaching soft skills, and resilience; and by ensuring that people can re-skill and up-skill throughout their lifetimes. Unpaid work, for example childcare and elderly care in the home, will need to be better supported, especially as with the shifting age profile of global populations, the demands on these tasks are likely to increase.

THE FUTURE OF DATA

Today, digital technologies such as data pooling and AI are used to track and diagnose issues in agriculture, health, and the environment, or to perform daily tasks such as navigating traffic or paying a bill. They can be used to defend and exercise human rights – but they can also be used to violate them, for example, by monitoring our movements, purchases, conversations and behaviours. Governments and businesses increasingly have the tools to mine and exploit data for financial and other purposes.

However, personal data would become an asset to a person, if there were a formula for better regulation of personal data ownership. Data-powered technology has the potential to empower individuals, improve human welfare, and promote universal rights, depending on the type of protections put in place.

THE FUTURE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media connects almost half of the entire global population . It enables people to make their voices heard and to talk to people across the world in real time. However, it can also reinforce prejudices and sow discord, by giving hate speech and misinformation a platform, or by amplifying echo chambers.

In this way, social media algorithms can fuel the fragmentation of societies around the world. And yet they also have the potential to do the opposite.

THE FUTURE OF CYBERSPACE

How to manage these developments is the subject of much discussion – nationally and internationally – at a time when geopolitical tensions are on the rise. The UN Secretary-General has warned of a ‘great fracture’ between world powers, each with their own internet and AI strategy, as well as dominant currency, trade and financial rules and contradictory geopolitical and military views. Such a divide could establish a digital Berlin Wall. Increasingly, digital cooperation between states – and a universal cyberspace that reflects global standards for peace and security, human rights and sustainable development – is seen as crucial to ensuring a united world. A ‘global commitment for digital cooperation’ is a key recommendation by the Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation .

FOR MORE INFORMATION

The Sustainable Development Goals

The Age of Digital Interdependence: Report of the UN Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation

ILO | Global Commission on the Future of Work

Secretary General’s Address to the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly

Secretary General’s Strategy on New Technology

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How Technology Affects Our Lives – Essay

Do you wish to explore the use of information technology in daily life? Essays like the one below discuss this topic in depth. Read on to find out more.

Introduction

Technology in communication, technology in healthcare, technology in government, technology in education, technology in business, negative impact of technology.

Technology is a vital component of life in the modern world. People are so dependent on technology that they cannot live without it. Technology is important and useful in all areas of human life today. It has made life easy and comfortable by making communication and transport faster and easier (Harrington, 2011, p.35).

It has made education accessible to all and has improved healthcare services. Technology has made the world smaller and a better place to live. Without technology, fulfilling human needs would be a difficult task. Before the advent of technology, human beings were still fulfilling their needs. However, with technology, fulfillment of needs has become easier and faster.

It is unimaginable how life would be without technology. Technology is useful in the following areas: transport, communication, interaction, education, healthcare, and business (Harrington, 2011, p.35). Despite its benefits, technology has negative impacts on society. Examples of negative impacts of technology include the development of controversial medical practices such as stem cell research and the embracement of solitude due to changes in interaction methods. For example, social media has changed the way people interact.

Technology has led to the introduction of cloning, which is highly controversial because of its ethical and moral implications. The growth of technology has changed the world significantly and has influenced life in a great way. Technology is changing every day and continuing to influence areas of communication, healthcare, governance, education, and business.

Technology has contributed fundamentally in improving people’s lifestyles. It has improved communication by incorporating the Internet and devices such as mobile phones into people’s lives. The first technological invention to have an impact on communication was the discovery of the telephone by Graham Bell in 1875.

Since then, other inventions such as the Internet and the mobile phone have made communication faster and easier. For example, the Internet has improved ways through which people exchange views, opinions, and ideas through online discussions (Harrington, 2011, p.38). Unlike in the past when people who were in different geographical regions could not easily communicate, technology has eradicated that communication barrier. People in different geographical regions can send and receive messages within seconds.

Online discussions have made it easy for people to keep in touch. In addition, they have made socializing easy. Through online discussions, people find better solutions to problems by exchanging opinions and ideas (Harrington, 2011, p.39). Examples of technological inventions that facilitate online discussions include emails, online forums, dating websites, and social media sites.

Another technological invention that changed communication was the mobile phone. In the past, people relied on letters to send messages to people who were far away. Mobile phones have made communication efficient and reliable. They facilitate both local and international communication.

In addition, they enable people to respond to emergencies and other situations that require quick responses. Other uses of cell phones include the transfer of data through applications such as infrared and Bluetooth, entertainment, and their use as miniature personal computers (Harrington, 2011, p.40).

The latest versions of mobile phones are fitted with applications that enable them to access the Internet. This provides loads of information in diverse fields for mobile phone users. For business owners, mobile phones enhance the efficiency of their business operations because they are able to keep in touch with their employees and suppliers (Harrington, 2011, p.41). In addition, they are able to receive any information about the progress of their business in a short period of time.

Technology has contributed significantly to the healthcare sector. For example, it has made vital contributions in the fields of disease prevention and health promotion. Technology has aided in the understanding of the pathophysiology of diseases, which has led to the prevention of many diseases. For example, understanding the pathophysiology of the gastrointestinal tract and blood diseases has aided in their effective management (Harrington, 2011, p.49).

Technology has enabled practitioners in the medical field to make discoveries that have changed the healthcare sector. These include the discovery that peptic ulceration is caused by a bacterial infection and the development of drugs to treat schizophrenia and depressive disorders that afflict a greater portion of the population (Harrington, 2011, p.53). The development of vaccines against polio and measles led to their total eradication.

Children who are vaccinated against these diseases are not at risk of contracting the diseases. The development of vaccines was facilitated by technology, without which certain diseases would still be causing deaths in great numbers. Vaccines play a significant role in disease prevention.

Technology is used in health promotion in different ways. First, health practitioners use various technological methods to improve health care. eHealth refers to the use of information technology to improve healthcare by providing information on the Internet to people. In this field, technology is used in three main ways.

These include its use as an intervention tool, its use in conducting research studies, and its use for professional development (Lintonen et al, 2008, p. 560). According to Lintonenet al (2008), “e-health is the use of emerging information and communications technology, especially the internet, to improve or enable health and healthcare.” (p.560). It is largely used to support health care interventions that are mainly directed towards individual persons. Secondly, it is used to improve the well-being of patients during recovery.

Bedside technology has contributed significantly in helping patients recover. For example, medical professionals have started using the Xbox computer technology to develop a revolutionary process that measures limb movements in stroke patients (Tanja-Dijkstra, 2011, p.48). This helps them recover their manual competencies. The main aim of this technology is to help stroke patients do more exercises to increase their recovery rate and reduce the frequency of visits to the hospital (Lintonen et al, 2008, p. 560).

The government has utilized technology in two main areas. These include the facilitation of the delivery of citizen services and the improvement of defense and national security (Scholl, 2010, p.62). The government is spending large sums of money on wireless technologies, mobile gadgets, and technological applications. This is in an effort to improve their operations and ensure that the needs of citizens are fulfilled.

For example, in order to enhance safety and improve service delivery, Cisco developed a networking approach known as Connected Communities. This networking system connects citizens with the government and the community. The system was developed to improve the safety and security of citizens, improve service delivery by the government, empower citizens, and encourage economic development.

The government uses technology to provide information and services to citizens. This encourages economic development and fosters social inclusion (Scholl, 2010, p.62). Technology is also useful in improving national security and the safety of citizens. It integrates several wireless technologies and applications that make it easy for security agencies to access and share important information effectively. Technology is widely used by security agencies to reduce vulnerability to terrorism.

Technologically advanced gadgets are used in airports, hospitals, shopping malls, and public buildings to screen people for explosives and potentially dangerous materials or gadgets that may compromise the safety of citizens (Bonvillian and Sharp, 2001, par2). In addition, security agencies use surveillance systems to restrict access to certain areas. They also use technologically advanced screening and tracking methods to improve security in places that are prone to terrorist attacks (Bonvillian and Sharp, 2001, par3).

Technology has made significant contributions in the education sector. It is used to enhance teaching and learning through the use of different technological methods and resources. These include classrooms with digital tools such as computers that facilitate learning, online learning schools, blended learning, and a wide variety of online learning resources (Barnett, 1997, p.74). Digital learning tools that are used in classrooms facilitate learning in different ways. They expand the scope of learning materials and experiences for students, improve student participation in learning, make learning easier and quick, and reduce the cost of education (Barnett, 1997, p.75). For example, online schools and free learning materials reduce the costs that are incurred in purchasing learning materials. They are readily available online. In addition, they reduce the expenses that are incurred in program delivery.

Technology has improved the process of teaching by introducing new methods that facilitate connected teaching. These methods virtually connect teachers to their students. Teachers are able to provide learning materials and the course content to students effectively. In addition, teachers are able to give students an opportunity to personalize learning and access all learning materials that they provide. Technology enables teachers to serve the academic needs of different students.

In addition, it enhances learning because the problem of distance is eradicated, and students can contact their teachers easily (Barnett, 1997, p.76). Technology plays a significant role in changing how teachers teach. It enables educators to evaluate the learning abilities of different students in order to devise teaching methods that are most efficient in the achievement of learning objectives.

Through technology, teachers are able to relate well with their students, and they are able to help and guide them. Educators assume the role of coaches, advisors, and experts in their areas of teaching. Technology helps make teaching and learning enjoyable and gives it meaning that goes beyond the traditional classroom set-up system (Barnett, 1997, p.81).

Technology is used in the business world to improve efficiency and increase productivity. Most important, technology is used as a tool to foster innovation and creativity (Ray, 2004, p.62). Other benefits of technology to businesses include the reduction of injury risk to employees and improved competitiveness in the markets. For example, many manufacturing businesses use automated systems instead of manual systems. These systems eliminate the costs of hiring employees to oversee manufacturing processes.

They also increase productivity and improve the accuracy of the processes because of the reduction of errors (Ray, 2004, p.63). Technology improves productivity due to Computer-aided Manufacturing (CAM), Computer-integrated Manufacturing (CIM), and Computer-aided Design (CAD). CAM reduces labor costs, increases the speed of production, and ensures a higher level of accuracy (Hunt, 2008, p.44). CIM reduces labor costs, while CAD improves the quality and standards of products and reduces the cost of production.

Another example of the use of technology in improving productivity and output is the use of database systems to store data and information. Many businesses store their data and other information in database systems that make accessibility of information fast, easy, and reliable (Pages, 2010, p.44).

Technology has changed how international business is conducted. With the advent of e-commerce, businesses became able to trade through the Internet on the international market (Ray, 2004, p.69). This means that there is a large market for products and services. In addition, it implies that most markets are open 24 hours a day.

For example, customers can shop for books or music on Amazon.com at any time of the day. E-commerce has given businesses the opportunity to expand and operate internationally. Countries such as China and Brazil are taking advantage of opportunities presented by technology to grow their economy.

E-commerce reduces the complexities involved in conducting international trade (Ray, 2004, p.71). Its many components make international trade easy and fast. For example, a BOES system allows merchants to execute trade transactions in any language or currency, monitor all steps involved in transactions, and calculate all costs involved, such as taxes and freight costs (Yates, 2006, p.426).

Financial researchers claim that a BOES system is capable of reducing the cost of an international transaction by approximately 30% (Ray, 2004, p.74). BOES enables businesses to import and export different products through the Internet. This system of trade is efficient and creates a fair environment in which small and medium-sized companies can compete with large companies that dominate the market.

Despite its many benefits, technology has negative impacts. It has negative impacts on society because it affects communication and has changed the way people view social life. First, people have become more anti-social because of changes in methods of socializing (Harrington, 2008, p.103). Today, one does not need to interact physically with another person in order to establish a relationship.

The Internet is awash with dating sites that are full of people looking for partners and friends. The ease of forming friendships and relationships through the Internet has discouraged many people from engaging in traditional socializing activities. Secondly, technology has affected the economic statuses of many families because of high rates of unemployment. People lose jobs when organizations and businesses embrace technology (Harrington, 2008, p.105).

For example, many employees lose their jobs when manufacturing companies replace them with automated machines that are more efficient and cost-effective. Many families are struggling because of the lack of a constant stream of income. On the other hand, technology has led to the closure of certain companies because the world does not need their services. This is prompted by technological advancements.

For example, the invention of digital cameras forced Kodak to close down because people no longer needed analog cameras. Digital cameras replaced analog cameras because they are easy to use and efficient. Many people lost their jobs due to changes in technology. Thirdly, technology has made people lazy and unwilling to engage in strenuous activities (Harrington, 2008, p.113).

For example, video games have replaced physical activities that are vital in improving the health of young people. Children spend a lot of time watching television and playing video games such that they have little or no time for physical activities. This has encouraged the proliferation of unhealthy eating habits that lead to conditions such as diabetes.

Technology has elicited heated debates in the healthcare sector. Technology has led to medical practices such as stem cell research, implant embryos, and assisted reproduction. Even though these practices have been proven viable, they are highly criticized on the grounds of their moral implications on society.

There are many controversial medical technologies, such as gene therapy, pharmacogenomics, and stem cell research (Hunt, 2008, p.113). The use of genetic research in finding new cures for diseases is imperative and laudable. However, the medical implications of these disease treatment methods and the ethical and moral issues associated with the treatment methods are critical. Gene therapy is mostly rejected by religious people.

They claim that it is against natural law to alter the gene composition of a person in any way (Hunt, 2008, p.114). The use of embryonic stem cells in research is highly controversial, unlike the use of adult stem cells. The controversy exists because of the source of the stem cells. The cells are obtained from embryos. There is a belief among many people that life starts after conception.

Therefore, using embryos in research means killing them to obtain their cells for research. The use of embryo cells in research is considered in the same light as abortion: eliminating a life (Hunt, 2008, p.119). These issues have led to disagreements between the science and the religious worlds.

Technology is a vital component of life in the modern world. People are so dependent on technology that they cannot live without it. Technology is important and useful in all areas of human life today.

It has made life easy and comfortable by making communication faster and travel faster, making movements between places easier, making actions quick, and easing interactions. Technology is useful in the following areas of life: transport, communication, interaction, education, healthcare, and business. Despite its benefits, technology has negative impacts on society.

Technology has eased communication and transport. The discovery of the telephone and the later invention of the mobile phone changed the face of communication entirely. People in different geographical regions can communicate easily and in record time. In the field of health care, technology has made significant contributions in disease prevention and health promotion. The development of vaccines has eradicated certain diseases, and the use of the Internet is vital in promoting health and health care.

The government uses technology to enhance the delivery of services to citizens and the improvement of defense and security. In the education sector, teaching and learning processes have undergone significant changes owing to the impact of technology. Teachers are able to relate to different types of learners, and the learners have access to various resources and learning materials. Businesses benefit from technology through the reduction of costs and increased efficiency of business operations.

Despite the benefits, technology has certain disadvantages. It has negatively affected human interactions and socialization and has led to widespread unemployment. In addition, its application in the healthcare sector has elicited controversies due to certain medical practices such as stem cell research and gene therapy. Technology is very important and has made life easier and more comfortable than it was in the past.

Barnett, L. (1997). Using Technology in Teaching and Learning . New York: Routledge.

Bonvillian, W., and Sharp, K. (2011). Homeland Security Technology . Retrieved from https://issues.org/bonvillian/ .

Harrington, J. (2011). Technology and Society . New York: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

Hunt, S. (2008). Controversies in Treatment Approaches: Gene Therapy, IVF, Stem Cells and Pharmagenomics. Nature Education , 19(1), 112-134.

Lintonen, P., Konu, A., and Seedhouse, D. (2008). Information Technology in Health Promotion. Health Education Research , 23(3), 560-566.

Pages, J., Bikifalvi, A., and De Castro Vila, R. (2010). The Use and Impact of Technology in Factory Environments: Evidence from a Survey of Manufacturing Industry in Spain. International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology , 47(1), 182-190.

Ray, R. (2004). Technology Solutions for Growing Businesses . New York: AMACOM Div American Management Association.

Scholl, H. (2010). E-government: Information, Technology and Transformation . New York: M.E. Sharpe.

Tanja-Dijkstra, K. (2011). The Impact of Bedside Technology on Patients’ Well-Being. Health Environments Research & Design Journal (HERD) , 5(1), 43-51.

Yates, J. (2006). How Business Enterprises use Technology: Extending the Demand-Side Turn. Enterprise and Society , 7(3), 422-425.

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200-500 Word Example Essays about Technology

Got an essay assignment about technology check out these examples to inspire you.

Technology is a rapidly evolving field that has completely changed the way we live, work, and interact with one another. Technology has profoundly impacted our daily lives, from how we communicate with friends and family to how we access information and complete tasks. As a result, it's no surprise that technology is a popular topic for students writing essays.

But writing a technology essay can be challenging, especially for those needing more time or help with writer's block. This is where Jenni.ai comes in. Jenni.ai is an innovative AI tool explicitly designed for students who need help writing essays. With Jenni.ai, students can quickly and easily generate essays on various topics, including technology.

This blog post aims to provide readers with various example essays on technology, all generated by Jenni.ai. These essays will be a valuable resource for students looking for inspiration or guidance as they work on their essays. By reading through these example essays, students can better understand how technology can be approached and discussed in an essay.

Moreover, by signing up for a free trial with Jenni.ai, students can take advantage of this innovative tool and receive even more support as they work on their essays. Jenni.ai is designed to help students write essays faster and more efficiently, so they can focus on what truly matters – learning and growing as a student. Whether you're a student who is struggling with writer's block or simply looking for a convenient way to generate essays on a wide range of topics, Jenni.ai is the perfect solution.

The Impact of Technology on Society and Culture

Introduction:.

Technology has become an integral part of our daily lives and has dramatically impacted how we interact, communicate, and carry out various activities. Technological advancements have brought positive and negative changes to society and culture. In this article, we will explore the impact of technology on society and culture and how it has influenced different aspects of our lives.

Positive impact on communication:

Technology has dramatically improved communication and made it easier for people to connect from anywhere in the world. Social media platforms, instant messaging, and video conferencing have brought people closer, bridging geographical distances and cultural differences. This has made it easier for people to share information, exchange ideas, and collaborate on projects.

Positive impact on education:

Students and instructors now have access to a multitude of knowledge and resources because of the effect of technology on education . Students may now study at their speed and from any location thanks to online learning platforms, educational applications, and digital textbooks.

Negative impact on critical thinking and creativity:

Technological advancements have resulted in a reduction in critical thinking and creativity. With so much information at our fingertips, individuals have become more passive in their learning, relying on the internet for solutions rather than logic and inventiveness. As a result, independent thinking and problem-solving abilities have declined.

Positive impact on entertainment:

Technology has transformed how we access and consume entertainment. People may now access a wide range of entertainment alternatives from the comfort of their own homes thanks to streaming services, gaming platforms, and online content makers. The entertainment business has entered a new age of creativity and invention as a result of this.

Negative impact on attention span:

However, the continual bombardment of information and technological stimulation has also reduced attention span and the capacity to focus. People are easily distracted and need help focusing on a single activity for a long time. This has hampered productivity and the ability to accomplish duties.

The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning

The development of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies has been one of the most significant technological developments of the past several decades. These cutting-edge technologies have the potential to alter several sectors of society, including commerce, industry, healthcare, and entertainment. 

As with any new and quickly advancing technology, AI and ML ethics must be carefully studied. The usage of these technologies presents significant concerns around privacy, accountability, and command. As the use of AI and ML grows more ubiquitous, we must assess their possible influence on society and investigate the ethical issues that must be taken into account as these technologies continue to develop.

What are Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning?

Artificial Intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence in machines designed to think and act like humans. Machine learning is a subfield of AI that enables computers to learn from data and improve their performance over time without being explicitly programmed.

The impact of AI and ML on Society

The use of AI and ML in various industries, such as healthcare, finance, and retail, has brought many benefits. For example, AI-powered medical diagnosis systems can identify diseases faster and more accurately than human doctors. However, there are also concerns about job displacement and the potential for AI to perpetuate societal biases.

The Ethical Considerations of AI and ML

A. Bias in AI algorithms

One of the critical ethical concerns about AI and ML is the potential for algorithms to perpetuate existing biases. This can occur if the data used to train these algorithms reflects the preferences of the people who created it. As a result, AI systems can perpetuate these biases and discriminate against certain groups of people.

B. Responsibility for AI-generated decisions

Another ethical concern is the responsibility for decisions made by AI systems. For example, who is responsible for the damage if a self-driving car causes an accident? The manufacturer of the vehicle, the software developer, or the AI algorithm itself?

C. The potential for misuse of AI and ML

AI and ML can also be used for malicious purposes, such as cyberattacks and misinformation. The need for more regulation and oversight in developing and using these technologies makes it difficult to prevent misuse.

The developments in AI and ML have given numerous benefits to humanity, but they also present significant ethical concerns that must be addressed. We must assess the repercussions of new technologies on society, implement methods to limit the associated dangers, and guarantee that they are utilized for the greater good. As AI and ML continue to play an ever-increasing role in our daily lives, we must engage in an open and frank discussion regarding their ethics.

The Future of Work And Automation

Rapid technological breakthroughs in recent years have brought about considerable changes in our way of life and work. Concerns regarding the influence of artificial intelligence and machine learning on the future of work and employment have increased alongside the development of these technologies. This article will examine the possible advantages and disadvantages of automation and its influence on the labor market, employees, and the economy.

The Advantages of Automation

Automation in the workplace offers various benefits, including higher efficiency and production, fewer mistakes, and enhanced precision. Automated processes may accomplish repetitive jobs quickly and precisely, allowing employees to concentrate on more complex and creative activities. Additionally, automation may save organizations money since it removes the need to pay for labor and minimizes the danger of workplace accidents.

The Potential Disadvantages of Automation

However, automation has significant disadvantages, including job loss and income stagnation. As robots and computers replace human labor in particular industries, there is a danger that many workers may lose their jobs, resulting in higher unemployment and more significant economic disparity. Moreover, if automation is not adequately regulated and managed, it might lead to stagnant wages and a deterioration in employees' standard of life.

The Future of Work and Automation

Despite these difficulties, automation will likely influence how labor is done. As a result, firms, employees, and governments must take early measures to solve possible issues and reap the rewards of automation. This might entail funding worker retraining programs, enhancing education and skill development, and implementing regulations that support equality and justice at work.

IV. The Need for Ethical Considerations

We must consider the ethical ramifications of automation and its effects on society as technology develops. The impact on employees and their rights, possible hazards to privacy and security, and the duty of corporations and governments to ensure that automation is utilized responsibly and ethically are all factors to be taken into account.

Conclusion:

To summarise, the future of employment and automation will most certainly be defined by a complex interaction of technological advances, economic trends, and cultural ideals. All stakeholders must work together to handle the problems and possibilities presented by automation and ensure that technology is employed to benefit society as a whole.

The Role of Technology in Education

Introduction.

Nearly every part of our lives has been transformed by technology, and education is no different. Today's students have greater access to knowledge, opportunities, and resources than ever before, and technology is becoming a more significant part of their educational experience. Technology is transforming how we think about education and creating new opportunities for learners of all ages, from online courses and virtual classrooms to instructional applications and augmented reality.

Technology's Benefits for Education

The capacity to tailor learning is one of technology's most significant benefits in education. Students may customize their education to meet their unique needs and interests since they can access online information and tools. 

For instance, people can enroll in online classes on topics they are interested in, get tailored feedback on their work, and engage in virtual discussions with peers and subject matter experts worldwide. As a result, pupils are better able to acquire and develop the abilities and information necessary for success.

Challenges and Concerns

Despite the numerous advantages of technology in education, there are also obstacles and considerations to consider. One issue is the growing reliance on technology and the possibility that pupils would become overly dependent on it. This might result in a lack of critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, as students may become passive learners who only follow instructions and rely on technology to complete their assignments.

Another obstacle is the digital divide between those who have access to technology and those who do not. This division can exacerbate the achievement gap between pupils and produce uneven educational and professional growth chances. To reduce these consequences, all students must have access to the technology and resources necessary for success.

In conclusion, technology is rapidly becoming an integral part of the classroom experience and has the potential to alter the way we learn radically. 

Technology can help students flourish and realize their full potential by giving them access to individualized instruction, tools, and opportunities. While the benefits of technology in the classroom are undeniable, it's crucial to be mindful of the risks and take precautions to guarantee that all kids have access to the tools they need to thrive.

The Influence of Technology On Personal Relationships And Communication 

Technological advancements have profoundly altered how individuals connect and exchange information. It has changed the world in many ways in only a few decades. Because of the rise of the internet and various social media sites, maintaining relationships with people from all walks of life is now simpler than ever. 

However, concerns about how these developments may affect interpersonal connections and dialogue are inevitable in an era of rapid technological growth. In this piece, we'll discuss how the prevalence of digital media has altered our interpersonal connections and the language we use to express ourselves.

Direct Effect on Direct Interaction:

The disruption of face-to-face communication is a particularly stark example of how technology has impacted human connections. The quality of interpersonal connections has suffered due to people's growing preference for digital over human communication. Technology has been demonstrated to reduce the usage of nonverbal signs such as facial expressions, tone of voice, and other indicators of emotional investment in the connection.

Positive Impact on Long-Distance Relationships:

Yet there are positives to be found as well. Long-distance relationships have also benefited from technological advancements. The development of technologies such as video conferencing, instant messaging, and social media has made it possible for individuals to keep in touch with distant loved ones. It has become simpler for individuals to stay in touch and feel connected despite geographical distance.

The Effects of Social Media on Personal Connections:

The widespread use of social media has had far-reaching consequences, especially on the quality of interpersonal interactions. Social media has positive and harmful effects on relationships since it allows people to keep in touch and share life's milestones.

Unfortunately, social media has made it all too easy to compare oneself to others, which may lead to emotions of jealousy and a general decline in confidence. Furthermore, social media might cause people to have inflated expectations of themselves and their relationships.

A Personal Perspective on the Intersection of Technology and Romance

Technological advancements have also altered physical touch and closeness. Virtual reality and other technologies have allowed people to feel physical contact and familiarity in a digital setting. This might be a promising breakthrough, but it has some potential downsides. 

Experts are concerned that people's growing dependence on technology for intimacy may lead to less time spent communicating face-to-face and less emphasis on physical contact, both of which are important for maintaining good relationships.

In conclusion, technological advancements have significantly affected the quality of interpersonal connections and the exchange of information. Even though technology has made it simpler to maintain personal relationships, it has chilled interpersonal interactions between people. 

Keeping tabs on how technology is changing our lives and making adjustments as necessary is essential as we move forward. Boundaries and prioritizing in-person conversation and physical touch in close relationships may help reduce the harm it causes.

The Security and Privacy Implications of Increased Technology Use and Data Collection

The fast development of technology over the past few decades has made its way into every aspect of our life. Technology has improved many facets of our life, from communication to commerce. However, significant privacy and security problems have emerged due to the broad adoption of technology. In this essay, we'll look at how the widespread use of technological solutions and the subsequent explosion in collected data affects our right to privacy and security.

Data Mining and Privacy Concerns

Risk of Cyber Attacks and Data Loss

The Widespread Use of Encryption and Other Safety Mechanisms

The Privacy and Security of the Future in a Globalized Information Age

Obtaining and Using Individual Information

The acquisition and use of private information is a significant cause for privacy alarm in the digital age. Data about their customers' online habits, interests, and personal information is a valuable commodity for many internet firms. Besides tailored advertising, this information may be used for other, less desirable things like identity theft or cyber assaults.

Moreover, many individuals need to be made aware of what data is being gathered from them or how it is being utilized because of the lack of transparency around gathering personal information. Privacy and data security have become increasingly contentious as a result.

Data breaches and other forms of cyber-attack pose a severe risk.

The risk of cyber assaults and data breaches is another big issue of worry. More people are using more devices, which means more opportunities for cybercriminals to steal private information like credit card numbers and other identifying data. This may cause monetary damages and harm one's reputation or identity.

Many high-profile data breaches have occurred in recent years, exposing the personal information of millions of individuals and raising serious concerns about the safety of this information. Companies and governments have responded to this problem by adopting new security methods like encryption and multi-factor authentication.

Many businesses now use encryption and other security measures to protect themselves from cybercriminals and data thieves. Encryption keeps sensitive information hidden by encoding it so that only those possessing the corresponding key can decipher it. This prevents private information like bank account numbers or social security numbers from falling into the wrong hands.

Firewalls, virus scanners, and two-factor authentication are all additional security precautions that may be used with encryption. While these safeguards do much to stave against cyber assaults, they are not entirely impregnable, and data breaches are still possible.

The Future of Privacy and Security in a Technologically Advanced World

There's little doubt that concerns about privacy and security will persist even as technology improves. There must be strict safeguards to secure people's private information as more and more of it is transferred and kept digitally. To achieve this goal, it may be necessary to implement novel technologies and heightened levels of protection and to revise the rules and regulations regulating the collection and storage of private information.

Individuals and businesses are understandably concerned about the security and privacy consequences of widespread technological use and data collecting. There are numerous obstacles to overcome in a society where technology plays an increasingly important role, from acquiring and using personal data to the risk of cyber-attacks and data breaches. Companies and governments must keep spending money on security measures and working to educate people about the significance of privacy and security if personal data is to remain safe.

In conclusion, technology has profoundly impacted virtually every aspect of our lives, including society and culture, ethics, work, education, personal relationships, and security and privacy. The rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning has presented new ethical considerations, while automation is transforming the future of work. 

In education, technology has revolutionized the way we learn and access information. At the same time, our dependence on technology has brought new challenges in terms of personal relationships, communication, security, and privacy.

Jenni.ai is an AI tool that can help students write essays easily and quickly. Whether you're looking, for example, for essays on any of these topics or are seeking assistance in writing your essay, Jenni.ai offers a convenient solution. Sign up for a free trial today and experience the benefits of AI-powered writing assistance for yourself.

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Impact of technology on jobs

The Creator

In today’s world, the use of technology is inevitable. So instead of cursing it or badmouthing it, we should learn to live with it and make the most out of it. It raises the bar of efficiency, productivity, and safety which is not achievable by humans alone. Also, it will not be for the first time when there will be a shift in employment due to technology. History has been evidence of the fact that technology has been the creator of jobs than the destroyer.

The industrial sector all over the world is adopting technology for higher efficiency and productivity. Machines can reduce the production of default products to a fault and also decrease the production time. Although, this may lead to job loss for the unskilled and semi-skilled labor if they remain uneducated and untrained. But if they become skilled through training and development programs, there would be better job opportunities. Workers will have more employment opportunities if their occupation undergoes some degree of computer automation. As long as they can learn to use the new tools, automation will be of their benefit.

For example, when ATMs automated the tasks of bank tellers and when barcode scanners automated the work of cashiers, rather than contributing to unemployment, the number of workers in these occupations grew. With the advent of new technologies industry, experts see the need for skilled workers increasing in the short run and persisting for at least another decade. The experts call for training programs with a new curriculum and certifications to standardize emerging job classifications. Technological innovations result in improved lifestyles. If we take the example of 3D printing technology, building houses by 3D printing is a great technological innovation. This innovation will create more affordable homes hence, more and more people may want to buy a house. And so, with more consumers, more houses will be built and hence will create so many jobs but of a different kind.

Technology changes the nature of jobs but it does not completely cause unemployment. Therefore, there is no need to cause panic rather prepare for the future by constant updating and learning.

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The Impact of Technology on Society: An Argumentative Perspective

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