Workplace robotics fuel both safety fear and optimism
The workers who participated in a recent poll on behalf of Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) have some very complicated attitudes towards automation and artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace. Some 31 percent said they fear that their jobs were at risk from automation, but far more – 46 percent – worry that their safety is at risk from their non-human co-workers. However, three in 10 workers believe that automation can actually make construction safer.
From those who responded as part of the wider survey across all industries, some 55% agree that they would rather lose their job to a human than a machine. AI could even impact workers’ career choices with nearly three quarters of US respondents (72%) agreeing in some capacity that they would consider choosing a job that will not be affected by autonomous machinery or AI, compared to over two in five UK respondents (45%).