The Automation Transition
Here you will find information to help you understand what the automation transition is and how you can adapt to it in your work life.
A printable version of the Place Corps guide to the AI transition
Automation is the process by which technology is used to complete tasks which were formerly completed by humans with minimal human input. When a task is automated it requires less human labor. Automation has been happening for a long time: it is not a new phenomenon.
However, modern technology has increased the speed at which tasks become automated, and AI and robotic technology in particular are changing the kinds of tasks which can be completed without human labor, and so we are entering a new phase of automation.
In the following sections you can learn about the ways in which AI will change the ways in which we live, work, create, and think, and the questions that it raises about what it means to be human:
One way to think about the advent of AI is to relate it to the Industrial Revolution in the late 19th century. New technology brought about enormous change in all realms of life and society over the following century.
Previous Technological Transitions in the Hudson Valley
The Hudson Valley has gone through several economic and labor transitions, namely the industrial revolution, the rise and eventual conclusion of the cement industry, and the rise and fall of IBM Watson manufacturing and the computing industry…
The Cement Industry: The town of Rosendale in Ulster County is home to the highest quality cement in North America, and so from the 1820s to the 1970s Rosendale cement accounted for a significant percentage of building cement in the U.S.. Part of the success of the cement industry in Ulster County is the region’s waterways which allowed for easy and efficient transport of materials to metropolitan centers across the country, in combination with the quality of the raw material. This industry came to a close in the early 1970s as the mines were largely exhausted. The conclusion of this industry in the region came about gradually, and so did not cause significant economic strife. The final major project involving Rosendale Cement was the New York State Thruway.
The Industrial Revolution: The Hudson Valley was one of the main regions for manufacturing and transport of goods in the 19th and early 20th century due to the quality and quantity of its waterways which allowed goods to be transported from the great lakes region to the eastern seaboard in the most efficient way at the time. The region itself was home to many manufacturers and the manufacturing industry accounted for a significant percentage of jobs in the region.
In the 20th century production and manufacturing began to shift abroad as new forms of transportation made it possible and cheaper to do so. This meant that manufacturing across the country began to decrease and this severely disrupted the economy and labor force in the Hudson Valley, causing economic strife.
IBM Watson and the Computing Industry: The computer revolution brought IBM Watson, one of the nations first computer manufacturers, into the Hudson Valley, and with it over 12,000 jobs. IBM had two primary locations in the region, one in Poughkeepsie, and the other in Kingston, where the main factory was located. The computing industry provided jobs for a range of workers, from white collar to blue collar, and also created many more jobs in the area supporting the population in terms of education, childcare, healthcare, hospitality and more. IBM’s peak as an employer in Kingston was in 1985, when it employed 7,100 people. This was soon followed by downsizing which occurred rapidly. By 1994 the IBM plant in Kingston was closed and thousands had lost their jobs. This caused major economic upheaval in the region and resulted in the departure of many white collar workers and a significant rise in poverty which has continued into the 21st century.
IBM was a unique kind of tech hub during its hey-day in the Hudson Valley, because it employed a wide range of workers, from scientists, engineers, and executives, to factory workers. The region between Westchester and Albany was the capital of the U.S. computing industry for many decades. It became cheaper to manufacture computer chips in tools abroad and so the industry left the region leaving thousands without jobs.
The CHIPS and Science Act: this is a recent act by the federal government to return the computing industry to the United States. This would mean the development of new ‘tech hubs’ resembling the Hudson Valley during the IBM years. The act has assigned a significant amount of funds to redevelop the computing industry in the Hudson Valley in coming years.
What will the Automation transition mean?
The automation transition means that more tasks are going to be completed by technology, similar to the computer and digital revolution, however because AI and robotics are a more advanced form of technology, they can also complete more complex tasks. Like computers, automation technology is best suited to complete tasks which are repetitive and take place in a structured environment. This means that many technical tasks will be completed by technology rather than by humans. This also means that workers will work collaboratively with these machines, programming their operating systems, guiding their learning, repairing them, and addressing errors and shortcomings.
What kinds of work will be automated? Work which follows a very consistent script, meaning work that is repetitive and in a structured environment, as stated previously, will be automated. Because AI and robotic technology is capable of learning and invention, this means that it can take on a wide range of tasks, and so it will affect both the blue and white collar labor sectors.
How will automation be integrated into the workplace? AI and robotic systems will be introduced into the workplace in a number of different scenarios:
