charcoal流利说商务英语 Level 6 Unit 1 Part 3(五)AI in Manufacturing

2021年1月9日发(作者：祝玉成)
流利说商务英语 Level 6 Unit 1 Part 3(五)AI in Manufacturing
Good evening and welcome to Money Talks, I'm your host, Megan Freeman.
Tonight's topic is: The rise of the machines.
With AI and automatic technology becoming more efficient and affordable, should
manufacturers start to prioritize AI over human staff?
Join me tonight is Beth Harris, a manufacturing consultant at SmartSource, and Adam
Tusk, the CEO of Aztec Motors and an AI skeptic.

So, what role should artificial intelligence play in the 21st century factories?
Beth, let's start with you.
Honestly, as large role as possible, Megan.
AI has already been adopted in factories around the world to do human jobs and it has
transformed manufacturing for the better.
Take assembly line robots for example, factories with these robots have reported
improved accuracy, timing, and workflow, which reduce costs and increase
productivity.
Tell me, how is this a bad thing?
How does she think robots have changed manufacturing? They've had a positive
impact.

Well, Beth. While I agree that AI has had positive impacts on manufacturing, there is
more to this issue than just improving efficiency.
If we have technology that is advancing so rapidly that it's putting people out of
work, then I would say, it's a problem.
I mean, look at this country right now, productivity and innovation have never been
better, and yet at the same time, we have a falling median income and fewer jobs.

With all due respect, Adam, I think you misinterpreting these trends.
Manufacturing jobs are being replaced by AI because people don't want to do them.
The current generation of factory workers is getting older and young people just aren't
interested in repetitive manufacturing work.
He agrees that AI has had a positive impact on manufacturing.
Young people don't want to do repetitive manufacturing jobs.

Well, there are other ways of dealing with a labor shortage than automation.
Aztec's factories had faced employment shortage before, and we chose to raise
salaries to bring qualified people to fill the positions.
But Adam, as this technology becomes more affordable, should manufacturers not
take advantage of it?
I'm not saying I'm anti-technology.
There are many ways in which automation should be used by manufacturers.
For example, robots can do more dangerous jobs to make work safer for employees.
So, it sounds like we're actually on the same page, Adam.