Almost 1 in 5 Americans know someone whose job has been affected by automation

Almost 1 in 5 Americans know someone whose job has been affected by automationAlmost 1 in 5 Americans know someone whose job has been affected by automationA new report from Pew Research Center shows that18% of Americans reported knowing someone whose salary or hours have been cut, or who has lost a position, due to workforce automation.A sliver of people also reported having firsthand experience with this topic, with 2% saying theyve lost a position themselves because their company replaced their positions with a machine or computer program, and 5% saying theyve had a cut in salary or hours because of it.But at the same time - and in line with similar findings - the Pew Research data shows that not everyone buys into the idea of automation taking over their jobs, with only 30% of employees saying they think its at least somewhat likely that computers or robots will mostly carry out their positionswhile theyre still alive.Of all the findings, here are just a few that stand out.Who is losing their jobs to automation?The report featured an age breakdown of the 2% who say theyve lost a position to automation and the 5% whove witnessed a dip in wage or hours because of it.Those ages 18-24 emerged as the most likely to report being affected directly by automation.On the other hand, those aged 65 and up were the least likely to say so, with only 1% saying automation took their job and just 2% saying they ended up earning less money or clocking in fewer hours because of it.Who thinks robots will take their jobs during their lifetime?Among hospitality and service workers, 42% said it welches likely, while 58% said it wasnt. Among retail employees, 41% said it was likely, while 59% disagreed.Meanwhile, 82% percent of those in education said it was not likely their jobs would be replaced by technology. Seventy-six percent of those in health care said it was not likely.Most Americans really dont want computers involved in hiringAnother part of the survey dealt with the role of technology when it comes to hiring.The research found that an overwhelming 76% of respondents wouldnt be interested in applying for positions that rely on a computer program to make determinations about candidates during the hiring process.Within this group,41% say computers cant capture everything about an applicant, 20% think its too impersonal, and 4% think candidates are able to game the system.A comment from an unnamed 22-year-old woman was featured in the report, showing that by using algorithms in hiring, certain menschenwrdig traits could slip through the cracks.A computer cannot measure the emotional intelligence or intangible assets that many humans have. Not every quality can be quantitatively measured by a computer when hiring someone there is much more learned by face-to-face interactions, she said.Technology that uses computers to screen applicants is already being deployed. Theres alreadyAI that can scan your face and tell employers whether youre a good fit or not.Some are open to being screened by computersSome Americans, however, think computers will give some job applicants a leg up during hiring, with 22%on board wth the idea of AI being involved in the hiring process.Of those who were in favor of it, 35% said they thought this technologywould be more fair, less biased than humans, 10% said they think theyd score well, and 10% said I would do what it took to get the job.An unnamed 69-year-old woman commented in the reportThis process, assuming the criteria were fairly developed, would avoid unfairdiscrimination and bias which impacts many hiring experiences. The successful applicant would be hired because they had the skills to do the job, not because they had a personality that clicked with the hiring authority.