There has been no shortage of stories recently about the breadth and depth of jobs that are soon to be automated.  Whilst it’s perhaps expected that many of these will be rote tasks, I’ve written a number of times about the growing capability of machines in creative endeavors, whether they be telling jokes, performing jazz, writing news stories or even empathizing with patients.

A recent study explores this growing trend of automation in more creative professions, and examines its social and political impact.  For instance, what happens if automation is used to fundamentally change how we communicate with one another?

Automated communication

In economic terms, this transformation is already beginning to bite, with a number of professions that rely on communication already being affected.  Whether it’s bank tellers or appointment schedulers, there are a number of roles that have already been automated in some way.

“The widespread circulation of automatic communicating machines gradually reduces — in real terms — the opportunity and impulse for cooperative human struggle,” the authors say.

This is increasingly prevalent in even the most ‘human’ of professions, with previous articles highlighting the growing role of robots in the caring profession.  A major part of their success has been in providing patients, particularly elderly ones, with companionship.  The authors believe that whilst these applications can have benefits, they fundamentally deprive people of human companionship.

“By idealizing the machine, people become more impatient with the flaws and contingencies of human relationships,” they say.

By automating this role, they suggest that we’re losing out on much of the spontaneity and contingency that makes human communication so valuable.

The paper goes on to suggest that white collar workers should be as concerned about their future livelihoods as their blue collar peers, which is a trend I’ve covered a number of times on this blog over the past few years.

It’s a topic that isn’t going to go away, and this paper provides another useful addition to the literature on automation and its potential impacts.