Thursday 23 July 15:40
- 17:10
Hall: 03 - Volta
Chair and Presenter:
Manuti Amelia
Division: Division 1: Work and Organizational Psychology
The impact of robotization in the workplace is a complex and evolving subject. As technology advances, robots and automation tools are playing an increasingly significant role in many industries. This transition brings both challenges and opportunities, reshaping how businesses operate, and how workers interact with technology.
On the one side, many fear that robots will replace human workers, especially in manual labor or repetitive tasks. Industries like manufacturing, logistics, and customer service are particularly susceptible to this shift. Workers whose jobs are automated may face difficulties transitioning to new roles without retraining or reskilling opportunities.
Workers need to learn how to work alongside robots and operate new technologies. For many, this requires significant investment in education and training programs, which may not always be readily available.
On the other hand, robots can significantly boost productivity and reduce human error, as automation can optimize workflows, reduce downtime, and help companies achieve higher throughput.
Yet, while robotization may eliminate certain jobs, it also creates new opportunities in areas like robotics maintenance, programming, and design. In fact, industries such as tech, AI, and automation are rapidly growing.
Additionally, humans may take on roles that require creative, emotional, and strategic decision-making—areas where robots currently cannot compete.
Furthermore, robots can collaborate with humans in new ways, using artificial intelligence to optimize processes or even develop novel solutions that a human alone might not have imagined.
The future of robotization in the workplace will likely involve a balance between automation and human involvement. Instead of replacing human workers entirely, robots could complement human work by handling repetitive or dangerous tasks, while humans focus on more complex, innovative roles. The key will be ensuring that the workforce is prepared for this shift through proper training, ethical guidelines, and policies that address both the economic and social implications of increased automation.
In viewoftheabove,thesymposiumaimstodiscusstheissuefromapsycho-socialperspective,analysingtheimpactofrobotization/automationonworkersandon organizations,outliningthecrucialrolehumanresourcemanagementcouldplayinthis fast-evolvingscenario.
