Robots have been taking our jobs since the 1960s. So why are politicians and business leaders only now becoming so worried about robots causing mass unemployment? It comes down to the question of what a robot really is. While science fiction has often portrayed robots as androids carrying out tasks in the much the same way as humans, the reality is that robots take much more specialized forms. Traditional 20th century robots were automated machines and robotic arms building cars in factories.

Robots have been taking our jobs since the 1960s. So why are politicians and business leaders only now becoming so worried about robots causing mass unemployment? It comes down to the question of what a robot really is. While science fiction has often portrayed robots as androids carrying out tasks in the much the same way as humans, the reality is that robots take much more specialised forms. Traditional 20th century robots were automated machines and robotic arms building cars in factories.

Welcome to the era of robotics in manufacturing. The current shockwave of technological transformation has again reached the industrial landscape. The fourth industrial revolution is changing the way the manufacturing industry works. Notably, robots have started populating the manufacturing floors and are powering exponential growth in manufacturing productivity. However, the transition into Industry 4.0 is posing significant challenges.

Industrial production was transformed by steam power in the nineteenth century, electricity in the early twentieth century, and automation in the 1970s. These waves of technological advancement did not reduce overall employment, however. Although the number of manufacturing jobs decreased, new jobs emerged and the demand for new skills grew. Today, another workforce transformation is on the horizon as manufacturing experiences a fourth wave of technological advancement: the rise of new digital industrial technologies that are collectively known as Industry 4.0. Will it create or destroy jobs?

There is a widely held view about what is coming in manufacturing. It goes something like: Move over, humans. We don't need you anymore. Robots will take it from here. This is not manufacturing's future.