NBC News has an interesting report out this week on one of the less-discussed side-effects of the pandemic in the United States and around most of the developed world. The subject primarily deals with employment, specifically how companies have responded to government shutdowns and social distancing requirements. We already knew that remote working surged massively in any type of job where it was an option. But even for jobs that have to be done “in person,” technology was employed to get things done when workers couldn’t (or wouldn’t) come to the workplace. In many cases, that meant additional automation. In others, companies moved to incorporate robots where possible.
But now that we may (eventually) be moving toward the end of the pandemic, a lot of jobs that used to be done by people may not be coming back. Having invested in robotics and learned how much of the workload these smart machines can actually take care of, there may be little incentive for employers to go back to the old flesh and blood model of their workforce.
Now unemployment is a lot higher, and a much-mentioned post-pandemic economic trend is the continuation of greater workplace automation that began during the outbreak to protect people from Covid-19. The economics team at Wall Street bank Goldman Sachs are highlighting the shift to ecommerce and the “digitization of the workplace” — including cost and time savings from remote work and virtual meetings — as keys to higher productivity and economic growth over the next few years. Meanwhile, labor shortages and surging demand have businesses looking at how to employ technology of all sorts to replace needed workers.
Supermarkets are installing more self-checkout kiosks, with some even experimenting with computer-vision capabilities that would eliminate the need for cashiers. Even older technology, such as QR codes, are being employed at places like restaurants, so diners can order from their tables by scanning those pixelated square barcodes rather than consulting a server. The Financial Times reported recently on a jewelry store owner who revamped her set-up so that window shoppers can use smartphones to purchase items by scanning those little square codes. She used to pay a part-time salesperson, but not anymore.
This article was originally published by Hot Air. Read the full article.
