Automation: America’s Key to Future Prosperity

by Rich Sill  

Many people are concerned over whether the United States can maintain its global economic dominance, and especially about its influence on the world stage while also concerned about labor shortages in the current job market. Although they may not come to fruition for many years, advancements in American automation have the potential to lead the United States to even greater heights. 

Automation in the United States is advancing at a greater rate today than ever before. Most of these advancements have been occurring in the biology, computer science, energy, and space sectors. The forefront of this progress is the increased use of machines, building other machines with very little human interaction. The COVID-19 pandemic helped speed automation up by incentivizing the demand for a non-human workforce in certain fields.  

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been some concerns about how automation may take away jobs. One of the biggest groups against automation are teamsters, who fear that self-driving trucks can harm the most common profession in 29 states. However, the history of workforce development in the United States shows that the labor market will adapt to change technology. Some jobs may go away, but this transition will take place over the next ten years. Automation is a long-term advancement, so the labor market will gradually adapt to the changing times. 

Economic growth and technological progress always disrupt the status quo, and recent and soon-to-be advancements in automation are no different. The pandemic helped speed up the rise of artificial intelligence in everyday life. Although some workers may be concerned about losing their jobs, the market will adapt quickly enough for those workers to find jobs in growing sectors. No matter how drastic things change, America will always move forward.