<p>I have been doing a lot of reading up on automation recently, and some people seem to be saying the automation will drastically affect the unemployment market, as in upwards of 50% unemployment. Is this a possibility? What fields will be hit the hardest? Are accounting and engineering likely to be affected? I'm currently a freshman in college, and I am a little stressed over picking a major. Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>50% unemployment is completely ridiculous. Here is my thought on automation, and note that a big part of my job is automating previously manual processes:</p>
<p>If there is a task that I repeat consistently, why would I not want to allow a computer to perform that task for me?</p>
<p>When it comes to job security, automation does pose a “threat” of sorts, but all of business is about adaptation to changing environments. When a process is automated, it frees up the process owners to perform other tasks. As an employee, performing mundane tasks is not going to get you promotions or career advancement, so automation of the mundane tasks allows you to focus on value added tasks, which will, in turn, add to your value in your company. </p>