Can a Machine Do Your Job?

Thursday, 10 March 2011 | by Pat's Picks

Can a machine do your job? That’s the provocative headline on the front page of today’s Indianapolis Star. The article says automated systems are quickly taking over the retail world, from the grocery store to the factory floor. Calling it a “double-edged sword,” the Star says while machines make life easier for customers, many worry about their effect on employment rates.

Automation has allowed the retail sector to cut costs but it has also eroded employment opportunities in an industry that “has long been a reliable job generator.” The Star says the latest development is an automated gas station that will “dispense gasoline, snacks, bottled drinks, even hot coffee with the swipe of a credit card—and not a single clerk.”