{"id":173337,"date":"2021-02-08T18:11:06","date_gmt":"2021-02-08T15:11:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/covid-19-has-fuelled-automation-but-human-involvement-is-still-essential\/"},"modified":"2021-02-08T18:11:06","modified_gmt":"2021-02-08T15:11:06","slug":"covid-19-has-fuelled-automation-but-human-involvement-is-still-essential","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/covid-19-has-fuelled-automation-but-human-involvement-is-still-essential\/","title":{"rendered":"#COVID-19 has fuelled automation\u2014but human involvement is still essential"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#COVID-19 has fuelled automation\u2014but human involvement is still essential<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

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\n Automated systems require knowledge, human supervision and intervention from the human operator whenever something goes wrong. Credit: Pixabay
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The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the way we work and interact with machines\u2014and people\u2014in the workplace. The surge in remote working<\/a> brought on by the pandemic has magnified the need for unmanned work operations. More automation, however, does not always make the workplace more efficient.<\/p>\n

Industries that have heavily relied on manual operations, like warehouses<\/a> or meat packers<\/a>, are now introducing more automated or tele-operated systems<\/a>. Unlike traditional, manually operated machines, in tele-operation the human operator sits in a remote location away from the machine they control. <\/p>\n

Despite some of the unquestionable benefits of automation, however, these trends are in part an attempt to address the high rates of COVID-19 among factory workers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Despite some of the unquestionable benefits of automation, however, simply adopting a technology<\/a>-driven app<\/a>roach aimed at replacing all manual operations with robots is not a viable fix.<\/p>\n

Human-machine interaction<\/b><\/p>\n

For decades, what’s known as human factors<\/a>, a discipline at the intersection of cognitive science<\/a>, engineering and kinesiology, has investigated the human-machine interaction in the workplace, with the goal of understanding the benefits and unintended consequences of automation. Among the phenomena being investigated is what’s known as the paradox of automation.<\/p>\n

The paradox of automation<\/a>\u2014also known as the paradox of technology\u2014occurs when introducing automated system will add to, not reduce, the workload and responsibilities of the human operator. <\/p>\n

This is because automated systems often require more knowledge, human supervision and intervention from the human operator whenever something goes wrong.<\/p>\n

Case in point is airport security screening. This industry has undergone an automation revolution<\/a> for many decades now. Yet data shows that the failure rate in this industry is still as high as 95 percent<\/a>. Why?<\/p>\n

The answer to this question is less about the technology, and more about the fact that system developers too often ignore or overlook the human factor. <\/p>\n

In other words, a technology-centred approach is adopted over a human-centred one<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ignoring or undervaluing human factors in automation does not only make systems impossible to use but, more importantly, hinders safety<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Recognize boundaries<\/b><\/p>\n

A solution to this is developing systems that help automate manually intensive operations, as well as account for known boundaries in human cognition like the inability to multi-task effectively<\/a> or sustain attention on a given task for long periods of times.<\/p>\n

Like many other innovations borne out of challenging times in human history<\/a>, the push for more automation and tele-operation triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic must come with the promise of more efficient and safer workplace operations. <\/p>\n

But instead of fully and solely relying on what’s technologically possible, system developers must put human beings at the centre of designing automation instead of relegating them to its periphery.\n <\/p>\n\n

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Artificial intelligence can help some businesses but may not work for others<\/a>\n <\/div>\n

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\n This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a>.\"The<\/p>\n

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\n COVID-19 has fuelled automation\u2014but human involvement is still essential (2021, February 8)
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