The Automation Discretion Paradox 4 views

This paper examines how automation reshapes the role of human labor through a four degree of freedom robotic arm built for a pick and place task. Although the arm succeeds by conventional engineering standards, including repeatability, precision, and efficiency, its design also reflects deeper assumptions about what counts as successful work. Using Winner, Suchman, Sparrow, and feminist critiques of engineering culture, the paper develops the “automation discretion paradox”: automation reduces human discretion during routine operation while preserving human responsibility during failure. The robotic arm’s rigid mechanical design, programmed control architecture, technical interface, and performance metrics all prioritize predictable motion over human adaptability. As a result, human expertise is not removed but relocated into preparation, monitoring, troubleshooting, and repair. The paper argues that engineers should evaluate automated systems not only by speed and accuracy, but also by how they distribute authority, responsibility, and opportunities for human judgment.

BS (Bachelor of Science)

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2026-05-08