Brits are deliberately “sabotaging” workplace robots so they can’t be replaced, according to recent reports.
A new study has found that the UK is less accepting of workplace tech when compared to other countries.
According to the Telegraph, research by De Montfort University in Leicester found that tensions between humans and workplace robots are created because British employers don’t explain why they’re using them.
The leader of the study reportedly told the publication: “We heard stories of workers standing in the way of robots and minor acts of sabotage – and not playing along with them.
“The UK seems to have a problem with diffusion and take-up of technology.”
De Montfort University denies that the researcher made these claims.
The published research paper notes how the UK contrasts with other countries in its attitudes towards workplace tech.
It highlighted that workers in Norway give robots affectionate names and use them as a way to avoid repetitive or more strenuous tasks.
A report by global forecasting company Oxford Economics recently predicted that 20 million people will have been replaced by workplace robots in 2030.
In the UK, East Yorkshire, Northern Lincolnshire, Shropshire, Stafordshire, Cumbria, West Wales and the Valleys are said to be the most ‘vulnerable’ areas when it comes to the rise of robots.
Oxford Economics predicts that these places are most likely to see the rise of machines because they are ‘relatively dependent on manufacturing for employment’.
Starship Technologies, a delivery company based in the US, admitted last year that people often kick their robots as they roll down the streets.
British workers may not have anything to worry about just yet as the De Montfort University report found that UK businesses were struggling to find robot alternative “cost-effective.”
However, this was largely due to the cost of ensuring a smooth implementation of robots into human workforces.
Earlier this month, MPs called for an urgent investment in workplace robots.
They think that the tech will actually secure human jobs, create new roles and make the UK more competitive on the global market.
Source: Nypost
