T he rise of automation has redefined industry, bringing unprecedented efficiency to production. This transformation began with Henry Ford (1863–1947), who pioneered the moving assembly line. By standardizing production and streamlining labor, Ford reduced the cost of his automobiles, notably the Model T, from $825 to $575—a reduction of over 30%. Such a drastic decrease in cost reshaped the automotive industry and set the precedent for mass production in nearly every sector. Today, mobile and automated assembly lines dominate manufacturing, increasing efficiency but also redefining the nature of work itself. The benefits of automation are undeniable: greater productivity, lower costs, and widespread availability of goods that would have been luxuries in earlier times. However, this progress has not come without sacrifice. In Ford’s early factories, skilled craftsmen were replaced by workers performing specialized, repetitive tasks. Management structures evolved to oversee procure...
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