Opinion: Why automation needn't exterminate your job

Up to 20 million manufacturing jobs around the world could be done by robots over the next decade, according to recent analysis. Oxford Economics' report seems to back up the fear that advances in automation and artificial intelligence on the factory floor are a threat to the security of traditional manufacturing jobs. But what does a robot in the workplace really mean? What could the impact be on Scotland's manufacturing and engineering companies, and what can they do to develop their business models and workforce to prepare for change? In industry, the term "robots" is used to describe everything from "pick and place" machines and robotic welders, to software applications (bots) that can perform an automated task such as placing an order with a supplier when stocks run low.