How Automation Impacts Your Daily Life Without Even Realizing It

If you stop to think about it, you might be surprised at how much automation has impacted your life without realizing it.

Consider all the ways that technology has made your life easier, from automatic updates on your computer to GPS directions on your phone.

Even small conveniences like hands-free soap dispensers and self-checkout lanes at the grocery store are examples of automation.

In many cases, automation is designed to make our lives simpler and more efficient. It's no wonder that we've come to rely on it in so many aspects of our lives.

The next time you go about your day, take a moment to notice how automation has made your life just a little bit easier.

Chances are, you'll be surprised at how many there are.

Everyday automations throughout your day

Emerging technologies are finding new ways to make our life easier. So much of it happens in the background throughout your day.

You might get up in the morning to find that your coffee maker automatically made the first pot of coffee.

When you leave for work, a smart thermostat knows your habits and automatically adjusts the temperature to a cool 72 degrees.

When you’re driving to work, your GPS detects a traffic jam and automatically reroutes you.

In the background, a device might be tracking how you drive to see if you can get a discount on your insurance for being a safe driver.

Your mom calls so your phone connects automatically to let you take it through your car’s screen.

When you get to work, you ride the elevator up to the right floor and enter through a door that automatically opens when you approach.

Your office might be connected to sensors that turn on the lights and adjust the heat when you arrive.

All of this happens before you even sit down at your standing desk to start your day and make your life easier.

But it’s just beginning. Here are more ways that everyday automations are already embedded into our lives on a daily basis.

Cruising with automated vehicles

While people may be hesitant in adopting technology such as driverless cars, vehicles already come with automation.

Cruise control, automatic emergency braking, cross-traffic alerts, and lane departure warnings are automated in nearly all new vehicles.

Other apps add additional functionality, such as delivering sports scores, news updates, or automatically customizing music playlists based on your past listening.

Many states have automated toll collection. Rather than paying manually, drivers head through toll gates that scan license plates, allowing drivers to pay online.

Financial automation tools

In banks and financial transactions, you’re exposed to automation constantly.

Every time you use your credit card, automation checks to make sure the card is valid and hasn’t been reported as stolen.

If you’ve applied for a loan or credit card, your application was reviewed first by automation, assessing your creditworthiness.

Banks today automate cash dispensing and deposits (ATMs) and offer online banking for automatic bill pay, setting up recurring payments, and automatically sending late payment notices.

Automation lets you see your bank statements and whether a check has been cleared, make stock trades without human intervention, and access self-service customer service.

Behind the scenes, automation software is constantly looking for fraud to trigger alerts for suspicious activity.

Working smarter not harder in the workplace

A report from the US Government Accounting Office (GAO) estimates that somewhere between 9% and 47% of jobs could be automated in the future.

McKinsey research shows that nearly 60% of existing jobs could also be simplified using emerging technologies like automation to improve productivity.

In business today, companies automate a variety of time-consuming and repetitive tasks that benefit customers and employees, such as automating data entry and invoicing, managing the approval of a work schedule for the week or vacation request, and routing email service to the right person.

Automation happens consistently in marketing. As you go online, automation can present personalized ads based on your behavior.

Social media sites deliver content that they think you will find most interesting.

Retailers automatically send you coupons, discounts, or notices of upcoming sales based on your preferences.

When you turn on Netflix at the end of the day, the system recognizes you and suggests different movies and shows watch based on the data it’s gathered.

The majority of viewing comes from the system's suggestions.

Automating your shopping experience

When you shop on Amazon, the platform will recommend additional items you might want to buy. So, you don’t forget the batteries, cords, or adapters you need to power the device you’re buying.

If you have a question, Chatbots are available to answer common questions.

When you do make a purchase, you get acknowledgments sent to your email service along with tracking of shipments and deliveries that happen automatically.

Honestly, this list could go on for a long time.

Industry stakeholders are constantly envisioning new ways to gain a deeper understanding of individual and societal problems to find ways to make life easier.

Every day, new ways to use automation are being developed. It will be exciting to see what the future holds.