The Next Industrial Revolution: How can robots help humans transform intelligently
When Spinning Jenny was invented, it was predicted that thousands of textile workers would lose their jobs. However, this prediction, rooted in the first industrial revolution, did not come true. Although the spinning capacity of the Jenny machine is eight times higher than that of the old spinning wheel, manpower is still necessary.
Since then, through the second and third industrial Revolutions, we have become accustomed to predictions of machines replacing humans. We may even look forward to more machines to help us get rid of dangerous, burdensome and unpleasant tasks.
The next Industrial Revolution and ancient prophecies
Today, we are on the brink of the next industrial revolution.
The continuous development of artificial intelligence technology, has been widely used in a variety of life scenes, intelligent sorting robots, driverless cars, unmanned hotels, unmanned supermarkets… The benefits of new technology are trickling into every aspect of people’s lives. As the core driving force of the new round of global scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, ARTIFICIAL intelligence is profoundly changing the competitive landscape of the world and accelerating the transformation of economic and social fields from digital and network to intelligent.
More work will be automated in the future. At the same time, the old prophecy will be heard again. In particular, the rapid rise of robotic process automation (RPA) technology, which was the first to be implemented in the field of artificial intelligence, is filling the manpower vacancy of enterprises with its powerful advantages.
RPA is a kind of software or platform that realizes workflow automation by simulating and enhancing the interaction process between human and computer and performing mass and repeatable tasks based on certain rules according to preset procedures. It is often vividly called “digital workers” and “virtual employees”.
These rPA-equipped “virtual workers” and “digital workers” are more than the industrial robots on the assembly line, but they work in computers and are loaded with reams of data. Like industrial robots, these RPA software robots are tireless and can work 24/7. They have a very low error rate, but they are very efficient. Their emergence, eliminate the enterprise in the past those need to spend a lot of manpower and time of repetitive work, for enterprises to improve efficiency, reduce costs play an important role.
That’s why someone picked up the old prophecy. Will software robots in the form of RPA take our jobs?
Smart change: Everything will remain people-oriented
Just as janine machines can’t put textile workers out of work, RPA simply helps humans solve the efficiency problem in order to do their jobs better. It can’t replace human beings, only serve as our assistant. One of the factors driving the rapid development of RPA is how to “liberate employees from heavy and complicated work to create higher value”. Another driver is the digital transformation facing companies.
Forrester estimates there will be more than 4 million RPA robots in office, administrative and sales roles by 2021. In its recent FUTURE of IT report, Forrester also identified automation, including RPA, as one of the top five trends for successful businesses.
Creativity and innovation will become more important in the digital world. Humans will work with robots, not be replaced by them.
There is no doubt that we are rapidly entering a new era driven by artificial intelligence. Just as the steam engine was to the first industrial revolution, electricity to the second and information to the third, intelligent change driven by ARTIFICIAL intelligence is leading to the fourth industrial Revolution.
RPA software robot is just the beginning of the revolution. In the future, RPA will be deeply integrated with artificial intelligence and other technologies to further improve the intelligent efficiency of enterprises. Whether it is driverless cars, smart factories or virtual employees, they will become part of our lives and profoundly change the way we live, work and society in the future.