Could installing robotic labor potentially harm human employment in the long run?

Could installing robotic labor potentially harm human employment in the long run? 

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 Robots are incredible inventions. They have been very beneficial to the production in industrial America. When robots had first entered the big picture of labor, they were first designed to do industrial jobs such as, welding or painting (like on automobiles.) In Susan Vargas’ Safety+Health article: “Robots in the workplace” Recently, however, technological advances have begun to allow for greater diversity of robotic systems in the workplace. “Now, in addition to traditional industrial robots, we have professional service robots, collaborative robots who work side by side with workers, and mobile autonomous robots in a wide range of industries and enterprises,” said Vladimir Murashov, senior scientist in the Office of the Director at NIOSH and a member of NIOSH’s newly formed Center for Occupational Robotics Research. Industrial robots typically have been used for tasks considered undesirable for human workers – what RIA Vice President Bob Doyle described as “the three Ds: dull, dirty and dangerous jobs.” In this capacity, automated systems offer considerable safety benefits to human workers. “Robots can help prevent injuries or adverse health effects resulting from working in hazardous conditions,” Murashov said. “Some examples are musculoskeletal disorders due to repetitive or awkward motions, or traumatic injuries. They can also prevent multiple hazards in emergency response situations such as chemical spills.”

Employers are just beginning to explore the possibilities for strategic human-robot partnerships. Because collaborative robots are intended to share workspaces with humans, safety measures are built into their design. However, despite these inherent protections, collaborative robots still pose significant risks. Introducing new technology in the workplace often is met with a degree of anxiety or skepticism. Employers thinking of adopting collaborative robotic systems should bear in mind that workers may have concerns about their safety or job security, and dispelling those fears can take time.