What does the future hold? A question we all ponder from time to time no doubt. According to some the future could hold all sorts of exciting prospects such as hover cars, robotic butlers or time travel. Whilst some of these involve a lot of imagination, current technological advancements could see us moving towards a different way of life quicker than most would anticipate.
One of the key technological advancements in recent times has been the drone. Increasingly popular with photographers to get that perfect angle of scenery, the drone is becoming more and more prominent and not just with the new generation of budding photographers but with businesses too. What if drones could take over not only your photographing duties but other jobs too? Well in reality they already are, at a much more cost effective rate too.
According to Argon Consulting it is estimated that just two drones could do the equivalent amount of work as 100 humans. The industries most under threat from drone replacement are infrastructure and agriculture but across several industries services and labour up to the value of $127 billion is estimated to be replaced by drone powered solutions in the near future, according to PwC.
Within the agricultural sector drones should be able to help with analysis of soil and drainage or crop health assessments, whilst tasks such as crop spraying, can also be done more precisely with drone assistance. Although these advancements can only be good news for producers in a sector such as agriculture, the question is what does this mean for the labour markets these drones will be replacing?
This is not the first time technological advancements have been viewed as the downfall of the labour market as we know it. In the recent past, we have seen the economy adapt to significant task automation in the manufacturing sector. Recent history suggests that the increase in productivity from labour being replaced by technology, increases demand for new products and services. This in turn creates new jobs for displaced workers in order to satisfy increased demand. So, whilst a drone might replace your job by 2020, if history has anything to say about it another one will soon be available.
Eleanor King & Chloe Sainsbury
[Image: LA Times]