Robots have replaced more than 60,000 of Foxconn’s assembly line workers

While the world has managed to stave off the effects of impending workplace automation for decades, the advent of robots that can complete most manufacturing tasks with greater speed and precision than a human worker is starting to have a major effect on controversialChinese manufacturing powerhouses like Foxconn.

According to the South China Morning Post, over the past two years the iPhone-maker has replaced 60,000 of its assembly line workers with robots.

“The Foxconn factory has reduced its employee strength from 110,000 to 50,000, thanks to the introduction of robots. It has tasted success in reduction of labour costs,” said a Foxconn spokesperson in a statement to the publication.

While the company is best known in the west for assembling the iPhone, it would likely be hard to find a home in Canada that doesn’t have a Foxconn-made electronic in it; the company’s workers build and assemble a number of other notable electronics, including all three eighth generation video game consoles, as well as Amazon’s line of Kindle e-readers.

Foxconn also isn’t the only company investing in workforce automation. Since September 2014, multiple companies that operate in the city of Kunshan, one of China’s major manufacturing hubs, have invested more than 4 billion yuan, approximately $791-million, in robotics. “More companies are likely to follow suit,” said the Foxconn spokesperson.

However, in a subsequent statement to BBC, the company denied the automation of its assembly lines will result in long term job losses.

“We are applying robotics engineering and other innovative manufacturing technologies to replace repetitive tasks previously done by employees, and through training, also enable our employees to focus on higher value-added elements in the manufacturing process, such as research and development, process control and quality control.”

The automation of most manufacturing jobs is expected to have significant economic and societal consequences on the world’s population. In the developing world, in particular, automation is expected to prevent countries from using manufacturing as a way to get their populations out of poverty.

[source]South China Morning Post[/source][via]BBC, 9to5Mac[/via]