A recent piece in the Wall Street Journal by Nora Eckert notes that automakers are going all-in on automation as a way to fight rising labor costs. But it’s not as simple as just swapping out humans with robots. For one, there are tasks that robots simply can’t do. And investing in machinery means that companies inherently have less flexibility in their processes, potentially hindering them in a market that requires nimbleness. Additionally, maintaining incredibly complex machinery in good working order is expensive and time-consuming. Even facing these obstacles, some industries have made inroads in automation. Where are the robots gaining a foothold? And what does it look like when automation is introduced into a workplace? Joining us to discuss are David Greenfield, editor in chief of Automation World and Ben Armstrong, executive director and a research scientist at MIT’s Industrial Performance Center, where he coleads the Work of the Future initiative.