I love to connect the dots on what is happening in the world and society. It’s fascinating to watch as society is changing so rapidly that it’s difficult to keep up.  

We all know about the Industrial Age and that we are now in the Technology Age but I wonder how many of you have noticed that we are entering the Robotics Age?

My recent "Find Yourself, Live Your Dreams, and Be Happy" Blog Talk Radio show   titled “Is a College Education Still Worth it?” noted that “According to the October 2014 article published by Computerworld.com, by 2025, 1 in 3 jobs will be replaced by software or robots.”

That show got me thinking about the ubiquitousness of robots in today’s society and how seamlessly they have slipped into our lives without us realizing how many of them there are.

1. College degrees need to match the age in which they are earned 

As I noted the rising cost of college, the mounting college loan debt, and the mountain of graduates unable to find work, I started wondering what happened to the jobs, and if we need to change our career and degree focus. 

That’s when I started the list. It reminded me of the acceleration of the Technology Age and what happened when hardware became less expensive and apps began being invented every waking moment. 

2. The Robotic Age is accelerating and there are more robots being invented on a daily basis

I started my list to track the robot infiltration and that’s when I realized that they are everywhere.  Admittedly, as with anything new, there are positives and negatives associated with this trend. 

Robots have become pervasive in the global marketplace.  Just today, while writing this article, I saw a news report of Amazon testing drone package delivery in Canada. A short video showed the customer receiving his package that a drone had just dropped on his doorstep. Amazon now has “Prime Air” This is their domestic drone delivery service.

Here are a few examples of robots in today’s society from my list.

1, Pepper the Humaniod robot who reads emotions sells for $2,000 - See it here.

2. Lowes has a robot sales assistant and for customer service. They proudly exclaim that they can market to you using the digital readout on the back of the robot. It also speaks many languages. One customer said “I actually come to this store because of the robot.” Introducing Orchard Supply Hardware's OSHbot. Click here to see video of it in action.

3. Robot bartenders are serving drinks on cruise ships like Royal Caribean. Over at the Bionic Bar robot bartenders serve up mixed drinks that you order on tablets.  Click here to see it. 

4. Foxconn plans to replace half a million Chinese employees with Robots.  Check out the video at this link.

5. On a positive note a recent CBS Sunday Morning introduced us to robots opening up the world of art. Click here to see the video.

6. Another positive example is how, paralyzed by a stroke, Henry Evans uses a telepresence robot to take the stage as he delivers a TED Talk from his bed. This is made possible by demonstrating how new robotics, tweaked and personalized by a group called Robots for Humanity,has allowed him to do that. Watch the incredible TED Talk at this link.

3. Robotic Integration into society is seamless. 

As we accept this robotic invasion with the mindset that they will “make life easier” for us it appears we neglect to realize the creeping ubiquitousness of this trend. Yes in some areas they make our lives easier, but often they take jobs away from us as well.

Remember that many of today’s youth are so used to interacting with machines that, for them especially, it will be a seamless integration in their lives. It will be as normal to them as iPhones and iWatches. 

Robots are getting less creepy and more social. Some are being touted as companions. Perhaps you should rent the Will Smith movie “iRobot” which shows one possible human future with robots.

What are your thoughts on this march into the Robotic Age©? Do find it a good thing, or something that fills you with dread? Are you ready for them to throw you out of work, or help you do things you couldn’t do before? I would love to hear your thoughts on this blog post. 

Incidentally, this is only a small portion of my list. Want to learn about the other robots? Just email me at Yvonne@jadcommunications.com

Your comments, as always, are welcome. Share them here or at any of these social media links.