Automation's continued growth -- the industry's expected to grow by $169 billion by 2024 -- continues to pressure employers to choose AI and automated services. It's a choice that often leads to a reduced workforce as companies move to increase profits and productivity through an automated workforce.

Productivity and profits, however, can improve without replacing employees. Employers can choose to integrate AI and technology into their existing workforce, instead of reducing their staff, to help employee productivity and company profits.

Remove Biased Optimism and Rethink Automation

Employees often view automation with biased optimism. Two-thirds of U.S. workers are confident robots will perform and replace human jobs, yet 80 percent believe their position will remain intact.

A biased optimism, especially in regards to automation in the workplace, has employees focusing on their individual factors. They believe their skills, personality and character will preserve their position instead of considering the unrelated factors influencing business leaders and employers to adopt AI and automation.

It's essential employees recognize their optimism bias and understand their position is at equal risk for automation as their co-worker or other individuals in their field. By realizing their vulnerable position, employees can plan and adapt their career path or, depending on their company role, develop ways to adopt automation without cutting jobs.

Keep Employees and Stay Competitive

Companies can keep employees, while using advanced technology, and stay competitive in the marketplace. Several techniques are available to help raise employees' productivity, as well as a company's processes:

Hire co-bots to assist with tasks. Collaborative robots or co-bots help staff complete their jobs faster and with ease. Manufacturing plants, such as General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Ford have all adopted co-bots.



Co-bots reduce the amount of heavy lifting done by workers, as well as each employee's time spent gathering materials. The robots handle more basic tasks, which lets employees commit their time to more skilled actions.



The size of co-bots also makes them safer to use, in comparison to larger industrial robots which are fenced off to ensure worker safety. Employees also train on how to operate or adjust co-bots, without requiring an on-site programmer.

Collaborative robots or co-bots help staff complete their jobs faster and with ease. Manufacturing plants, such as General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Ford have all adopted co-bots. Co-bots reduce the amount of heavy lifting done by workers, as well as each employee's time spent gathering materials. The robots handle more basic tasks, which lets employees commit their time to more skilled actions. The size of co-bots also makes them safer to use, in comparison to larger industrial robots which are fenced off to ensure worker safety. Employees also train on how to operate or adjust co-bots, without requiring an on-site programmer. Use AI to help employees' productivity. AI developments extend beyond automated robots for producing cars, and to analyzing large amounts of data in a short amount of time -- faster than it'd take a team member to accomplish the task.



One AI program analyzes company emails to gather whether an employee is sad, happy or frustrated. Human resource managers can then use that data to monitor or reach out to select employees. Other programs can filter applications and provide recommended candidates to interview.



Programs, such as these, help a team work more efficiently so they can accomplish more each day. Instead of reviewing applications the entire day, a human resource manager can schedule interviews and proceed with the job hiring process.

AI developments extend beyond automated robots for producing cars, and to analyzing large amounts of data in a short amount of time -- faster than it'd take a team member to accomplish the task. One AI program analyzes company emails to gather whether an employee is sad, happy or frustrated. Human resource managers can then use that data to monitor or reach out to select employees. Other programs can filter applications and provide recommended candidates to interview. Programs, such as these, help a team work more efficiently so they can accomplish more each day. Instead of reviewing applications the entire day, a human resource manager can schedule interviews and proceed with the job hiring process. Create new positions to offset automation jobs. Automotive manufacturers are quick to adopt automated robots, yet as noted earlier, some are choosing to compromise between automation and technology through co-bots.



Companies that reduce their workforce, because of automation, should take the approach of creating a new job for each position replaced by a robot. The reasoning for this method goes beyond retaining a human workforce, but to ensuring the purchased robots match the productivity and output of other employees.



Three job groups, which entail nine careers, are essential to managing the AI or software used by robots. These jobs include trainers, explainers and sustainers. Trainers teach AI how to function and operate, while explainers provide information and answer any questions from a company's leaders. Sustainers ensure a robot workforce stays functional.

Business leaders have also used a variety of alternative methods to retain employees or ensure they're financially stable as the company integrates AI into the workplace. Companies like Chobani, for example, have given 10 percent of the company's stock to employees, while others have chosen to help advance their service offerings to expand their staff size.