Rhetorical Analysis Of The Robot Invasion

“The Robot Invasion” written by Charlie Gillis in an article which informs the reader of current uses and capabilities of robots as well as elaborating on the expectation of advancement of robotic technology in the future. Though the reader never learns of the author’s professional background or experience on the subject, he uses evidence provided by numerous scientists and professionals in the field to lend credibility to the article. Throughout the reading, the audience is presented the idea that while it is inevitable that robots will become commonplace in the future, there is adequate time to adjust education and skills to fit the needs of the future because of the current limitations of robots. Another point made is the thought that humans

In addition to using language understood by many, the author introduces a significant figure who creates robots by explaining that he invented the Roomba, a household appliance that has become popular around the world. While the Roomba has become a household name, Robert Brooks is also responsible for creating a lesser known success, the first commercially available human like robot obtainable to companies by offering an affordable price point. Brooks is a credible source in the world of technology due to the success of his creations, so his opinions can have a greater impact on the population. The reader is led to view the idea of robots in the workplace in a positive light when Brooks points out the fact that when the PC was introduced, it did not eliminate the need for office workers, it simply changed the type of work that they are required to do. The Roomba and PC are valid examples of humans currently choosing to coexist with machines, but the article had the opportunity to resonate on a deeper level with the reader had it mentioned the fact that robots are responsible for many luxuries that relied on every day. Furthermore, while one may cringe at the thought of a robot in their home, he or she may fail to see that they already coexist with many and depend on them to help

Though his thoughts are like those of other in his field of study, they are presented with a negative connotation. Frey begins on a depressing note, stating that half of the occupations on Earth will fall to robots by the year 2030 as well as predicting certain occupations to be doomed such as farming and fishing. Moreover, after offering the idea of robots obliterating the workforce over the next ten years, he attempts to resurrect thoughts of hope by stating that it is not a “doom and gloom” scenario and expressing the belief that jobs will remain for humans if they adapt to the demands and ideals of the future. By including the thoughts of the futurist, the author loses a bit of credibility. On one hand, Frey is suggesting that the occupation of farming will fall to robots soon, however, the prediction is followed by the fact that a California company recently announced the plan to spend around $3.1 to develop a robot capable of simply weeding lettuce crops, which is only one small chore that farmers do