Published 01/21/2013

Automation Association Criticizes News Report

The segment on "60 Minutes" suggests automation technologies are limiting job opportunities.

Automation

Edited by: MMS Editorial Team

The Association for Advancing Automation (A3), the global advocate for the automation industry, is disappointed in how CBS news program 60 Minutes portrayed the industry in a January 13 segment titled “March of the Machines.”

“While the 60 Minutes depiction of how technological advances in automation and robotics are revolutionizing the workplace was spot on, their focus on how implementation of these automation technologies eliminates jobs could not be more wrong,” says Jeff Burnstein, president of A3, a trade group that represents approximately 650 companies from 32 countries involved in robotics, vision and motion control technologies. “We provided 60 Minutes producers with several examples of innovative American companies who have used automation to become stronger global competitors, saving and creating more jobs while producing higher-quality and lower-cost products, rather than closing up shop or sending jobs overseas. They unfortunately chose not to include these companies in their segment. With respect to MIT Professors Brynjolfsson and McAfee who gave their viewpoint in the piece, they are missing the bigger picture.”

To see what it calls the “real story” in action, A3 is urging people to attend “Automate 2013,” an industry trade show being held this week (January 21-24) in Chicago, Illinois. With more than 8,000 attendees from around the world, the event showcases the full spectrum of automation technologies used in many different industries. Among the highlights are several speakers who will address how robots are saving and creating jobs.

For more information about A3, visit www.a3automate.org.

For information about Automate 2013, visit automate2013.com.

Related Content

Revolutionizing Production: How Smart Hydraulics Drive 24/7 Manufacturing Excellence

All World Machinery Supply helps a firearms manufacturer up its game and improve and increase output.
4 Manufacturing Trends That Cannot Be Ignored

The next five years will present their own unique set of challenges, and shops can alleviate them by embracing these technologies and trends.
The Four Phases of a Manufacturer’s Automation Evolution

With more and more automation options available for manufacturers, how do shops figure out what works best? Medical manufacturer rms Company has acquired robot arms, AGVs, pallet changers and software, and while it has found success with all, it has learned how some solutions meet its particular needs better than others.