Maybe you’ve heard the claims that robots will soon be replacing humans at jobs.  It’s actually not as far-fetched as you might imagine.  Companies in Florida are exploring ways to cut costs and maintain profit margins.  Automation is one of those cost-cutting measures that are gaining more of a foothold every day.  Think about going to McDonald’s and placing your order on a computer screen, or self-checking out your purchases at Home Depot or WalMart or even Publix.  A human being didn’t service you, a machine did.  Does the one-time cost of this type of infrastructure lead to higher profits, all at the expense of the worker?  And what kind of protections are in place, or can even be put into place, to protect the employee?

Guests:  State Rep. Randy Fine (R - Palm Bay), Vice Chair of Careers and Competition and Dr. Rajiv Dubey, Chair, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of South Florida