One school of thought holds that robotics engineering could be fraught with pitfalls, while others believe that it will be of paramount importance to our communities in times to come. This essay attempts to shed light on both perspectives before concluding that I am in favor of the latter notion.
On the one hand, the growing advancement of robotics engineering may have an adverse bearing on communities the world over. One serious repercussion could be the deterioration in people’s health, which is attributable to robotics applications. For example, since the aid of robot cleaners could encourage laziness, people might stand a greater chance of contracting severe illnesses, such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and high blood pressure, due to increased sedentary time. Furthermore, an innumerable number of ordinary people would end up jobless when facing the accelerating advancement of robotics technologies in the workplace. Since the production processes which are performed by robots are significantly more cost-effective, demand for workers would be on the decline, which could trigger mass unemployment in the worst-case scenario. These are powerful testaments to the undesirable influence of robotic technology on our society.
On the other hand, there are a host of compelling reasons why I am convinced that robotic technologies will become an integral part of the future community. One rationale is that this technological advancement would help people take care of tedious daily tasks and free up their time for more enjoyable activities or more imperative priorities. Autonomous vehicles, for instance, enable drivers to enjoy recreational activities, namely reading books and playing video games, while automation systems have responsibility for safe control of the vehicle. Another justification is that automated machines and processes have the ability to produce goods of better quality and higher quantity while significantly cutting down the production cost. Consequently, these act as a precursor to a thriving economy in years to come.
In conclusion, even though it is irrefutable that robotics engineering could give rise to a number of adverse implications, I would contend that it will one day become an irreplaceable part of human society.