Jobs and the unmanned systems market

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May 02, 2018

Many people fear the unmanned world as they fear automation will make their jobs obsolete and them unemployed. Not so, said Xponential keynote speakers Dr. David Autor, Ford Professor of Economics and Associate Head, Department of Economics, at MIT and Bryan Wynne President and CEO of AUVSI.

According to Wynne, AUVSI has been forecasting for years that unmanned systems is and will be adding more jobs to the economy. Military veterans are a perfect example as many will be leaving their service with drone experience.

Who will be hiring and benefiting from unmanned systems aside from the military? The oil and gas industry; the public sector by way of maintaining roads and bridges; emergency responders by expediting damage assessments; the insurance industry by way of accelerating claims management; and the agriculture industry.

Wynne spoke of one company, Autonomous Stuff, which deals with supplying components, engineering services, and software that enables autonomy. He stated that the success of Autonomous Stuff is one more example of how startups are critical to the future of autonomy itself.

It’s not just understanding or having a glimpse into companies and what they are doing. The core of the speeches of the day centered on the job market and these companies are working towards making autonomy the norm of our lives. While no one is contesting that technology allow us to live our lives with a bit more comfort, there is a tangible fear that unmanned systems pose a threat to the job community.

There are millions of people that will be displaced from the workplace because of automation. However, that has been happening for years now. Autor pointed to “The Productivity Problem of 1964.” He said: Technology has already been taking jobs for years. The comfort comes in understanding that we evolve and create new high skilled jobs, the type of jobs that will continue to bring economic prosperity to Americans.

For more on the unmanned economy, read: The unmanned economy: grappling with regulations and job creation.