In a move that proves the future is here, like it or not, Grubhub and Yandex have announced a partnership to bring autonomous food delivery to select college campuses this fall. But in an uncertain economy, the shift has some workers wondering where they stand.
Will fast food workers be replaced by robots?
Automation is nothing new, but it’s certainly a trend that people should pay attention to. A 2019 report from the Brookings Institution warned that sectors considered highly at-risk for automation, including manufacturing, hospitality and transportation, account for about 25% of all U.S. jobs. Men, young people and workers from underrepresented groups are expected to be the demographics most affected by automation, the report said.
Despite these risks, experts say there is still time to turn the tide and ensure automation works for us, rather than against us.
"Automated delivery is actually quite challenging on a number of levels. It's also going to take some time for this technology to become more cost-effective than humans, I suspect, which will give people some time to find alternative work options," Amarita Natt, managing director at EconOne Research, told Lifewire in an email interview.
