High technology is poised to revolutionise working practices in the shipbuilding and marine engineering industries, an engineer says.
University of Hong Kong visiting lecturer B. S. Makhija said most employees, whether technical or not, were expected to become primarily 'information workers' by 2010.
In his paper Staying Ahead in the Future of Tomorrows , Mr Makhija said artificial intelligence, computer networks, imaging technology and data storage would become fundamental tools for most.
'These will have a revolutionary effect on our occupations, resulting in elimination of jobs, creation of new jobs and significantly changing others,' he said.
There was a need to be prepared for those changes.
'In the present state of development, it is technically possible to have fully automated, unmanned ships,' Mr Makhija said.
'At the same time, over the years, while labour costs have continued to rise worldwide, the cost of automation has been declining.' He said any attempt to cut crew numbers had to take into account that unmanned ships would be vulnerable to piracy.
