A Businessman's View

For many years, people have lamented the ever increasing use of automation in the workplace.  In the 80's it was on the assembly line, and people complained that the impact on the blue collar labor force would have a detrimental and even a material impact on the economy.  Since the late 90's, this discussion has shifted to the white collar labor force, especially as it relates to IT Automation, and the resulting amount of noise has increased exponentially in the last 10 years. "The robots are coming!" What, specifically, is the complaint? "Replacing people with robots" (as we've often heard it characterized) eliminates the need for the people in the first place.  They lose their jobs, which is bad for both moral and economic reasons.  Often, FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) is incorporated into the message along with "#skynet" as people say that we will only be one step away from computers taking over the world and eliminating humankind ...