-Mark Some people worry that the future of driverless cars means people’s jobs will be cut. If humans are no longer needed to drive then what will become of taxi drivers, truck drivers, chauffer’s, bus drivers, even postal delivery people? People are wary of driverless technology for this very reason. They are afraid people’s livelihoods are at stake and the automatization of transport could create a huge unemployment crisis. According to Goldman Sachs Economic Research the US could experience job losses at a rate of 25,000 jobs per month, or 300,000 jobs every year as a result of driverless cars. This is something that poses a threat to a lot of families, and as autonomous technology advances across the developed world, it sees it will be a global issue. G-20 (2018) This is no exaggeration; governments from around the world have noted this and are due to discuss issues related to job loss from technological advancement at the G-20 summit this Summer. The theme of the summit is to be “The future of jobs”. Coming up with a solution to this dilemma will be difficult, but it is something we all need to prioritise, as a massive job loss could put the economy in jeopardy. Could driverless cars really be too ambitious? Could what we are working so hard to achieve and investing so much money and resources into really be our downfall? Maybe we should be careful of what we wish for… Other people are more optimistic, and feel that as we advance with driverless technology, so too will we advance in the ways we deal with job creation. People had similar worries in the industrial revolution when new factory machines meant there was a reduced demand in manual labour. Again in the age of information, there was a big worry that computers would take over and there would be no jobs left. However, as we know now; this did not happen. The technological advancements that we so feared when they were first introduced have helped us immensely and we have come a long way as a society because of them. Fear of change is natural, but change is what fuels our growth. Gao, Hensley, and Zielke (2014) In Australia, there are hopes that driverless cars could lead to job creation. Brett Dale of the Motor Trades Association Queensland says there are opportunities in many areas related to driverless cars. This includes the servicing and repair of the vehicles, as well as the software engineering involved with the complex artificial intelligence (AI) systems that the cars will use. He says we need to be aware of the effect driverless cars could have on the motor industry. He also notes we need to broaden our mind set and develop the skills needed to make the most of the opportunities to come. It is indeed an exciting time, and we won’t fully know how driverless cars will affect the jobs market until it happens. Until then, let’s hope for the best! References: Gao P., Hensley R., and Zielke A., (2014) A road map to the future for the auto industry, [Online] Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/automotive-and-assembly/our-insights/a-road-map-to-the-future-for-the-auto-industry [Accessed 11th March 2018]Balakrishnan A., (2017) ‘Self-driving cars could cost America's professional drivers up to 25,000 jobs a month, Goldman Sachs says’ CNBC, 22nd May 2017. Available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/22/goldman-sachs-analysis-of-autonomous-vehicle-job-loss.html [Accessed 12th March 2018] CNN Money (2017) The backlash against self-driving cars officially begins, [Online] Available at: http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/10/technology/new-york-self-driving-cars-ridesharing/index.html [Accessed 12th March 2018] G-20 (2018) Argentina's priorities for the G20 2018 agenda [Online] Available at: https://www.g20.org/en/news/argentinas-priorities-g20-2018-agenda [Accessed 11th March 2018]
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