ROBOTICS- IS IT A THREAT TO HUMAN JOBS?

40% of our jobs will be lost to automation by 2050; say Oxford economists Dr Carl Frey and Dr Michael Osborne who predict that 40% of all jobs are at the risk of being lost to automation. However, the risk of automation does not necessarily mean the disappearance of entire occupations; it also signals a transformation in how work gets done.

Similar fears arose during the early 1960s, when the unemployment rate in the US rose from around 5% to 7.1%. TIME magazine reported concerns that the introduction of computers would lead to job losses. Yet, the IT industry went on to create entirely new professions, industries, and opportunities. Computers transformed the workplace, increased productivity, and enabled new career paths that were unimaginable at the time.

Today, advancements in robotics, artificial intelligence, and automation have brought these concerns back into focus. Robots are increasingly being deployed across healthcare, defence, security, transportation, manufacturing, and other industries. The World Economic Forum has also highlighted the potential for technology to create new employment opportunities even as existing roles evolve. The real question is not simply whether automation will replace jobs, but how we can use it to make work safer, more productive, and more meaningful.

One industry where this transformation is particularly important is the cleaning and maintenance of high-rise buildings. Modern skyscrapers feature expansive glass façades and increasingly complex architecture. Maintaining these structures often requires workers to operate hundreds of metres above the ground, exposed to extreme heat, strong winds, and hazardous working conditions. In parts of the Middle East, temperatures can approach 50°C, while cities such as Chicago experience challenging wind conditions. These are precisely the kinds of dangerous tasks where robotics can make a meaningful difference.

At WCB Robotics, we believe automation should not simply be about replacing people; it should be about removing people from situations where their safety is at risk. Existing façade-cleaning robots have often faced challenges involving weight, cleaning performance, wind resistance, and operational complexity. Our solution, ELMO (Enhanced Lightweight Mobile Operator), is an autonomous, 16 kg façade-cleaning robot designed to climb and clean exterior glass surfaces using proprietary suction technology. Tested in wind speeds of up to 80 km/h, ELMO is engineered to improve cleaning efficiency while enabling operators to monitor operations from the ground.

This transition also creates opportunities for skilled workers in robot operation, supervision, maintenance, technical support, and deployment. As repetitive and hazardous tasks become automated, the workforce can evolve towards safer, more specialised roles. The future of robotics is not just about what machines can do; it is about what humans can achieve when technology takes on the jobs they should never have had to do in the first place.