- COVID-19 pandemic and labor shortage accelerate employer adoption of automation
- Artificial intelligence is still insufficient for many tasks, but employers have been using it for certain tasks to improve efficiency of human workforce
- Roles primarily held by women with lower education levels are most at risk of being lost to automation
Summary by Dirk Langeveld
The COVID-19 pandemic and current labor shortages have accelerated a trend toward automation among many employers, according to economic analyses.
A recent report in Wired looks at how employers are sometimes turning to artificial intelligence solutions to complete tasks. They are making these decisions as businesses struggle to fill open positions.
- Some economists hold that automation occurs more rapidly after economic recessions and is more likely to remain in place
- In addition to reducing payroll costs, automation can offer employers benefits such as improved safety and efficiency
- AI is not yet intelligent enough to replace workers in many roles, but some employers have used automated processes to take over certain tasks and improve the efficiency of their human workforce
- One analysis suggests that roles primarily held by women with lower education levels are most likely to be at risk from automation
