Over the last few years, some man has lost some jobs and businesses to technology. It started with robots and computers and to the extent that some jobs and such businesses are going extinct. For some either you embrace the latest technology or you’re consigned to the analogue system at the detriment of the business. Some professionals spoke to our correspondents about their ordeal.
In some developed countries, according to reports, there has been a continuous loss of jobs and businesses as companies looking to save money are embracing the idea of replacing humans with computers and robots. A robot can work 24/7 with little to no pay or benefits and is often faster than a human with fewer errors. Computers and robots can also be helpful to employees as they can easily do jobs that are repetitive, monotonous, or dangerous and leave interesting jobs to humans.
Many robots, like the Baxter and Sawyer from Rethink Robotics in the US, can be programmed by anyone. They do not require a skilled technician to programme the robot to perform the tasks it is programmed to perform. As robots like these become smarter and cheaper, more companies are going to use them in their environment
Gradually and without realising it, the use of technology has continuously been embraced in Nigeria with its attendant displacement of jobs that were hitherto done manually, it’s being felt in every sector of the economy while those who foresaw the danger are adapting. Assembly lines and factory workers are working hard to keep up with emerging technology.
In assembly lines and industries, computers are being used to do a lot of jobs that were manually done as they control the production of cars and other products. Today, almost all large auto mechanic workshops use computers to diagnose cars before repairs as most modern cars are electronic. So any auto mechanic that wants to stay on the job must embrace the evolving use of technology.
In Europe, bus drivers, taxi operators, and delivery truck drivers are adopting as self-driving cars are becoming more of a reality. With technologies already used today, like assisted driving in Tesla cars and automated Uber test cars, more companies and services are beginning to use this technology. As self-driving cars start to be used more, the potential of jobs lost is staggering as they could replace millions of bus drivers, taxi drivers, truck drivers, and other transportation jobs.
Companies like Cat are even working on the autonomous underground, dozing, drilling, and hauling solutions for mining and construction that could reduce these types of jobs. Farming companies like John Deere also have tractors and lawnmowers that are autonomous or can assist in driving. Also, phone operators, telemarketers, and receptionists are going extinct here. These sectors have been on the receiving end of an automated call, like a telemarketing call. As voice recognition and speech synthesis become more advanced, it gets easier for companies to implement these systems and harder for people to know if they’re talking to a human.
In Nigeria, over the years business like newspaper publishing has been hit by technology. Many news agencies and websites are already employing the help of computer-assisted writing and information-gathering software robots. If you read news stories on the Internet, you have very likely read a story generated by a computer and not a human. As software becomes smarter, it’s going to replace even more journalists and reporter jobs. Some publishing organisations can no more afford to pay their bills including salaries as many now read the daily news from their cell phones.
As scientists make inroads in technology, robots today are continually being developed and are learning and adapting to their environment. To some extent, there will be a significant impact of artificial intelligence on employment, and many Nigerians will be continually put out of jobs.
Mrs. Regina Onuora, a newspaper vendor in Obiagu in Enugu Southeast told our correspondent that the newspaper vending business is getting worst instead following the growing rate of online media. Mrs. Onuora, who had spent over 20 years in the newspaper business said the recent era of the internet media which has crippled newspaper sales can be described as the worst time in the history of the business.
“If it will be possible, the government needs to control the online media so that readers can come back to the stand and patronise us. We hardly get up to 10 customers per day unlike before when you can sell more than 100 copies in a day. Most of the customers, when contacted, will tell you they have read the paper online and this is really killing the business,” she said.
Also Uchenna Ezeogu, another newspaper vendor said over 60 percent of his colleagues have left the business, as “Sales are very bad. No one wants to read hard copy anymore as they now prefer what they described as a convenient way of reading newspapers online. Some of my colleagues now sell phone accessories as well as other business that gives them money. So something must be done to save us.”
It’s not only newspaper vendor technology that has affected their business. Mr. Michael Chukwu, who owns a mechanic workshop at Ogui Road, Enugu State, lamented the inability of the youth to engage in apprentice work anymore as they now prefer selling phones, and phone accessories while others engage in POS business and other business.
It’s the same story for Saheed Falore. At his workshop behind Adegbemile Cultural Centre, Alagbaka, in Akure, Ondo State, Mr. Falore, an automobile mechanic disclosed that he is faced with low patronage. According to him, “Most of my customers come once in a while due to paucity of funds. For some of them, when I finished fixing their vehicles and ask them to pay a certain amount, they will beg and I will have to accept the small amount they could afford.”
Chukwu, however, told Saturday INDEPENDENT during the week that: “This poses a serious challenge to us as only a few people are seen in the mechanic workshop and it’s seriously affecting our services to customers. Added to this is the fact that even customers take their cars to more modern workshops where the computer is used to diagnose vehicle faults. I am trying to catch up.”
Mr. Ndubisi Nnaji, who sells Compact Disc (CD) at Artisan Market in Enugu tried so hard to convince our correspondent that his line of business is more hit by the technology trend, describing the current poor sales in the business as a pathetic situation.
“As you can see, I have turned my shop into a cosmetics shop, there are only a few CDS here because customers no longer patronise us as they now use their phones, flash, memory cards and other technology gadgets to play music.
“Before now, we can sell over 1,000 CDs in a week but now we can hardly sell 50 CDs in a week so the situation is terrible. Many of my colleagues have left to start other businesses while few of us that are left now combine it with other business because with the current situation, you can’t sell only CDs and survive,” he said.
Sixty-year-old Alake Durojaiye who repairs clocks and watches at the Old Garage area in the state capital, Akure has a similar complaint as he lamented that his business has been affected by the invention of clocks that use dry cell batteries and the metal one used by wristwatches. He said users hardly patronised them.
Mr. Alade Adejumo, who imports watches corroborated Mr. Durojaiye’s narrative. He said “People hardly use watches nowadays as they can easily check the time on their cell phones. Patronage has dropped which has also affected the quantity of the goods we bring into the country. The poor economy and not necessarily technology are responsible for this sad situation.”
Affected also is the taxi business where technology-driven operators like Bolt, Rida, and Uber have hijacked the business. The conventional taxi operators, who mainly aging men only sit around their parks and brood over bad business. A 60-year-old taxi driver at Iyana Ipaja park, Mr. Musa Hassan said no doubt “the online transportation has greatly affected our business in a negative way. People hardly look our way anymore because Uber and others are now at their beck and call.”
Also speaking, Kazeem Adeniji, another taxi driver said “how is this fair when we pay taxes, permits and all other payments demanded from us yet nothing for us but the online cabs don’t pay anything because they can hardly be identified as taxis? So if the government wants us to pay our taxes they should intervene as we are mostly idle with very low patronage from customers.”
The only way out, according to scientists, is to brace the new technological trend because according to them technologies like robots are continually being developed and are learning and adapting to their environment. To some extent, there will be a significant impact of artificial intelligence on employment. But, one should also remember that empathy, cognitive thinking, and emotional intelligence are traits that make humans unique and irreplaceable.
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