Opción B · Inglés PAU Madrid Extraordinaria (2ª lengua) 2018

OPCIÓN B

I, Robot

A good receptionist should have certain characteristics: helpful, friendly, organized. But do they need to be human? Perhaps not anymore. Walk into JLL’s Carrington Street office in Sydney and you’ll be greeted by JiLL, their new receptionist who can assist in a delivery, contact hosts, recognize employees or visitors, and more. It is just one of a growing number of robotic staff now working in offices around the world.

More than 260,000 robots are working in US factories today, most of them in the automotive, semiconductor and electronics industries. In white-collar workplaces, automation takes the form of reception assistants like JiLL that are assuming formerly human duties such as bulk and personalised correspondence, appointment scheduling and other office functions. In the 2020s and beyond, robotic versions of people will perform tasks previously reserved for humans. Sadly, this trend will reduce the demand for low-skilled labour, but that’s only part of the picture; it will also increase the need for access to highly skilled talent to manage the robots. The effect is more than mere replacement – it’s advancement.

The influx of sophisticated technologies will enable us to think of work in new and innovative ways. These “next-generation” digital changes are also imposing different work environments. As a result, we are witnessing the emergence of new workforce models such as the “liquid workforce” and the “human cloud”. The “liquid workforce” refers to employees who are able to re-train and adapt to their environment in order to stay relevant during the digital revolution. The “human cloud” model brings together autonomous, on-demand workers who can work onsite or perform their jobs remotely. Today, “human cloud” freelance workers comprise 35% of the workforce in the USA, and their numbers are expected to reach 80% of the future enterprise workforce by 2030.

QUESTIONS

1.- Are the following statements TRUE or FALSE? Copy the evidence from the text. No marks are given for only TRUE or FALSE.

(Puntuación máxima: 2 puntos)

a)

The number of cyber-assistants working in commercial and administrative centres may seem modest today, but it is gradually increasing everywhere.

TRUE

FALSE

b)

Despite possible setbacks in some areas, the robotic revolution will mean progress for our society.

TRUE

FALSE

2.- In your own words and based on the ideas in the text, answer the following questions. Do not copy from the text.

(Puntuación máxima: 2 puntos)

a)

Explain four tasks that automated receptionists can perform today.

b)

Describe the new labour models that are emerging because of refined technologies.