THE ETHICS OF TEACHING ROBOTICS

By: Harvey Cappel PE, Volunteer Robotics Teacher
As a volunteer robotics teacher, I have a problem that plagues me daily. I am part of the problem of replacing workers with machines. Along with many other examples I can site, one of the most obvious and recent is the grocery store “do-it-yourself” checkout counters/machines. Yes, these are robots; machines designed, and computer programmed to do the
work of workers.
Personally, I refuse to use these “do-it-yourself” checkout counters, ATM’s and the restaurant table computers for ordering and paying. I know that using them supports sending someone (that used to do this work) home without a job. And I let management know (when I can) my feelings about their new workerless policies. I do know that I can’t stop it and sooner
or later I will have no choice but maybe with some resistance we can slow it down a little.
Imagine that; I teach robotics but I’m against their use; well not completely. Certainly, robots are acceptable for dangerous jobs, on that we can all agree. But what about your job or mine; can a robot do your job or mine; without a doubt someday, probably yes?
What are we to do? Remember when cars replaced horses; the horses became pets and the blacksmiths and cowboys became mechanics working on cars. The harsh facts are the same for us. We, that get replaced with robots will become the equivalent of pets supported by family, welfare and government or learn to build and or work on robots. Seriously that’s it.
Well I guess you could become President of the USA. I leave it to you to guess my thoughts on that.
Recently on a CBS, 60 Minutes show I saw a guy say that, soon, up to 40% of our current jobs will be done with robots. Does that mean 40% unemployment; it could?
Think about it, robots can, today, replace checkers, bank tellers, bus, taxi and truck drivers, airplane pilots, practically all assembly line workers, wait staff, cooks, practically every job you can think of except the guy that replaces the batteries or fuses in the robots. Kind of scary isn’t it?
How about this for a solution? Require all robots to pay taxes equivalent to the taxes lost by sending the worker home and pay a monthly finder’s fee to the at-home worker that had to give up his/her job. Then we could all enjoy 24 hours each day of sleep and leisure instead of the 16 hours we now get. Let’s face it robots are here to stay; more are coming and unless
you are in the robotics design/build/repair/programing field your job is at risk.
I guess I answered my own question, so you might say that’s why we are teaching robotics starting in the fifth grade in Texas City. BTW I help Stacy Richardson teach Stem and Robotics at Blocker (Texas City middle school, eighth grade) home of two years in a row USA Gold Medal National
Champion student in Skills USA Robotics Competition.
Robots are not R2 D2 little men; they are programmable machines existing for the sole purpose of stealing your job; beware and watch your back.