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Daniel Milde Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1103 9/10/13 Topic Proposal: Is technology taking away vital jobs? Introduction/Overview For my Inquiry Project I will look into the effects of technology on the worlds current unemployment rates to try and glean any information that would inform readers of how the advances in technology have slowly diminished the availability of manufacturing and retail jobs due to the increased effectiveness of machines. This startling assumption would mean that millions of jobs in the future could be done by efficient machines rather than by humans who require certain labor laws and rules. The implications of this could rattle the very foundation of the worlds economy, and if the world does not recognize the potential harm in this super efficiency, then the next generation of humans could be faced with a world crisis without compare. Although technology has always been viewed as a vital step in the development of the world, the quick growth and widespread use of technology in the past decade has been unprecedented, and nowadays information can be found quickly through the internet. Humans have created such vast connections across the world, that globalization can now occur almost instantly. With these astounding leaps in technology some leading scientists are proclaiming that this rapid growth may also have a dark side that we have chosen to ignore. The increased productivity in manufacturing through the use of robotics has shown that machines can far exceed the human quality of work, without the limitations of sleeping and eating. This begs the

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question: If machines are so much more efficient than humans, how long will it be before businesses choose to move on to fully automated workers? And if this does happen, what will our society do to compensate for the large lack of jobs? After some preliminary research through a Google search which provided me with an MIT essay on the topic, I decided to use the Atkins library database to find articles that were related. These articles addressed everything from support of the new technology as a way towards a Utopian future, to criticizing the advancements and proclaiming them the means to our end. Along with this helpful research, I spoke with my parents about how technology is changing their careers in the banking industry, and whether or not they have seen any of this first hand. As I began asking questions, it helped me figure out exactly what I wanted to focus on and I pinned down the area I would research. From a report that I discovered on TechnologyReview.com, two MIT professors, Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee, argue that the growth in productivity in the past few years of the United States has been astounding, but the usual increase in employment has been unusually low. This is what the professors call the great decoupling. This unusual disparity has not been accounted for by economists, but Brynjolfsson claims that this could be directly related to the advancements in technology within the manufacturing business. With advanced super

computers and automated assembly lines, machines are beginning to replace even Chinese workers in their efficiency, and Brynjolfsson believes that this trend may spread to other occupations as technology improves in the future. However there are those that disagree with this dismal prospect. Richard Florida from the Chronicle of Higher Education argues that technology alone will not endanger blue collar workers, but instead humanity will be responsible for the loss or gain of jobs in the future. A student discussion paper written by Karen Korzep

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discusses the effects of technology within the medical field, along with the risks and benefits of using such technologies as the da Vinci robot, which is used for advanced surgeries. She goes on to detail the amazing possibilities that robotics provides, but also mentions the figurative Pandoras Box of utilizing this form of technology. She argues that once begun, humanity may not be able to halt its progress in implementing robotics into every stage of life.

Initial Inquiry Question(s) Is there any real correlation between the advancement in technology and the decrease of jobs in the last decade? And if it does exist, what will our future generations do to create more jobs, if they have not already reached some form of Utopian society without the need to work? My Interest in this Topic When I first thought of this topic I was at home watching 60 Minutes with my dad. An interview came on that talked about this very topic and from the moment I heard it, I knew I had to learn more. Both my parents work for the banking industry managing software groups and their lives are constantly becoming more and more automated. Hearing my dad talk about how in a few years some of the projects hes working on now wont even been run by humans really blew my mind, and I began to think more about how this could affect my future. After researching a bit more on the topic, I discovered that if the growth in technology continues to follow todays trend, then by the time my kids are going to college, much of the possible careers we have today may be taken over by ever more efficient machines. This little assumption really made me take a step back to consider what I was doing with my life. In English I learned that school today is preparing us for jobs that may not even exist yet. If this is true, then what does that say about the technology that will go along with those jobs? If technology is in fact taking

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away jobs from human beings, then maybe perhaps it isnt a matter of efficiency any more, but of human survival. At what point will we step back and think about how these human workers will earn money to live? Because of questions like this, I want to dive more deeply into this interesting theory to see if it has any concrete facts, and to discover how technology has invaded the United States industries in an attempt to increase efficiency. Next Steps In the next stages of my research I will explore more of the Atkins library archives for more useful documents, perhaps even reading some articles in person. If I cant find what Im looking for Im sure I can look up the 60 Minutes special to find out their sources as well as take notes on what they discuss. In addition to this I plan on visiting The New York Times webpage to do some more research on the topic.

http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/515926/how-technology-is-destroying-jobs/ http://uncc.worldcat.org/title/robots-arent-the-problem-its-us/oclc/846499941&referer=brief_results