10 Ways Robots Will Change All Our Lives Forever

So robots, in one form or another, becoming ever more present in our work and home lives looks to be the future of the human race, but will they end up stealing our jobs?

With “electronic human avatars with substantial work capability are years, not decades away" according to internet pioneer, Michael Roberts, are we stopping to think enough about the sustainability of the robotics boom? Unskilled jobs are easily replaced by automation, and even skilled jobs are beginning to feel the sting, with everyone from receptionists to key-cutters being edged out by a computer. Waiters, researchers, teachers and even doctors can, at least partially, be replaced by a cheaper, more accurate machine that is never hungover or distracted.

With many blue and white collar jobs subject to automation, but others requiring humans, mass unemployment in certain sectors and even the breakdown of social order could well be on the cards. Creatives would be, for the moment, relatively safe from losing their job to a robot, whereas top bankers could soon be replaced.

On the flip side, however, there are those who think that the world of automation will augment the workplace, increasing productivity rather than depressing employment. In offloading time-consuming, repetitive tasks on to computers, it opens up the possibilities for making the most of a human workforce.

Yes, there is some automation happening already, but it is possible that we're more ready for it than we think. With most kids learning how to code whilst still in school, a new wave of innovation and job creation could be on the horizon - robots need people to build and design them after all.

Outside of this very simple system, there's also the fact that there are many jobs requiring the human touch that a robot simply can't do.

You can programme a robot to lift an elderly person out of bed and even interact with them on a near-human level, but this still can't replace the presence of an actual caring human with which they can build an emotional connection. Even systems that could be semi-automated, such as self-driving cars, will most likely still need a human hand. After all, planes still need pilots, even if they are all flown by autopilot.