• Question: How protected do you think your field will be in the future from machine replacement?

    Asked by pace520keys on 21 Mar 2025.
    • Photo: Andreea Claudia Toma

      Andreea Claudia Toma answered on 21 Mar 2025:

      I’m really impressed with this question!!!
      As a lab technician and QC analyst, my role involves a unique blend of skills that combines hands-on laboratory work with critical analytical thinking.
      While automation and AI have been making strides in many fields, they often serve as tools to enhance human work rather than replace it completely. In laboratory settings, automation can certainly take over repetitive tasks or manage large data sets efficiently. However, the interpretative expertise, troubleshooting abilities, and the nuanced understanding of results that you bring to the table are uniquely human traits.

    • Photo: Martin McCoustra

      Martin McCoustra answered on 26 Mar 2025:

      This is really an interest question… I’m not too worried about the evolution of robotics and AI provided that we learn to use them properly. I have colleagues who used ChatGPT to write computer code but they always end if personalising the code to make it more efficient. Likewise, I’ve heard of people using these tools to generate the initial drafts of papers. However, the creativity and knowledge of scientist is still needed to make the paper readable and to ensure that the content is correct.

    • Photo: Caroline Roche

      Caroline Roche answered on 24 Apr 2025:

      I might have to adapt the work I do, but I would probably be the person helping setup the machines to do my old job. My current job already involves making machines do work so people don’t have to (Mainly working in hazardous environments). I may not do the programming for the machines but I would still be required to do part of the design work and make sure there are no conflicts.

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