A news article was recently released on the developing technology of ‘construction robots’. Essentially, the engineer and creator of these robots has made it possible for large machines such as bulldozers and excavators to operate themselves in an effort to increase speed and productivity in the construction industry. The end goal is to have these robots take on most of the dirty work and leave the specialized and highly skilled work to humans.
There appears to be little concern in regards to these robots replacing people and taking away jobs. In fact, the article explains that construction robots are a result of the tremendous labour shortage currently happening throughout the United States. However, as these robots would end up doing approximately 80% of the work that a human normally does, it could be a growing worry among labourers.
As a company working in this industry, Fastwalls could potentially benefit from the use of construction robots. However, we appreciate the relationships we build with our labourers, and replacing them with robots simply does not align with our company values. The construction robots may be beneficial for businesses, but if the time comes where robots start taking away jobs, the use of this technology may have to be re-examined.