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Ethical Dimensions of Automation

Ethical Dimensions of Automation

Q One these of this class is the changing landscape of operations management due to technology. The following article is a few years old, but it is the best example that I have found for how to put the future of automation and jobs into perspective. Please read it before making a post. Is your job an endangered species (WSJ).pdf The following is an open-ended discussion and is meant to explore and expand on the ethical aspects of applying automation in services. Some starter ideas: • Is it always acceptable to displace humans with machines? • Issues of alignment with customers (this is both a pro and con) • What is a company's responsibility to displaced workers? • What happens to the long-term workforce? You are not required to comment on all of these points and are free to include more points of your own.

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As long as automation is treated as an assistant and not a replacement, any ethical problems are addressed. Automation is ethical. It is a tool, and as a tool, it cannot be morally ambiguous (just as a knife isn't morally ambiguous, even if it can be used for unethical means). Regardless of how well AI machines are programmed to respond to humans, it is unlikely that humans will ever develop such a strong emotional connection with these machines. Hence, AI cannot replace humans, especially as connecting with others is vital for business growth.