How Charlie Chaplin’s “Modern Times” resonates with today’s industrial revolution

Introduction:

Within the evolving manufacturing industry, we often find inspiration in unexpected places. One such surprising source of insight can be found in the classic movie "Modern Times," starring the iconic Charlie Chaplin. This movie provides a parodic perspective on modernizing manufacturing challenges and opportunities in the early 1930’s. The current industrial revolution brings us to the same ethical crossroads Chaplin depicted brilliantly 100 years ago, forcing us to look at the human side of technology. In this article we compare the movie and the current situation, as a similar parody could be made about the current industrial challenges and opportunities. Nevertheless, the digital industry revolution is here.

We at SODA Foundry ensure your organization embraces a realistic digital industry transformation. And because no two cases are the same, we use a tailored approach based on our technology and industry knowledge, combined with your product and process knowledge.

1. Dehumanization of physical labour

Chaplin's film portrays the dehumanizing effects of the assembly line and the mechanization of labour. The Tramp character played by Chaplin, experiences repetitive tasks that strip him of his individuality and creativity, leading to a sense of alienation.

Although automation and digitalization (characteristics of industry 3.0 & 4.0) might raise concerns regarding dehumanization, there is a conscious effort to address these concerns. Collaborative robots and human-robot collaboration aim to augment human capabilities, providing opportunities for employees to engage in more meaningful and creative tasks. This shift aims to reduce monotony and increase job satisfaction.

2. Impact on Employment:

Chaplin's movie highlighted the negative consequences of mass unemployment caused by automation and oversupply. Workers in the film struggle to find employment as machines replace their jobs, resulting in poverty and social instability.

Although the adoption of advanced technologies has resulted in job displacement in certain sectors, it also presents new employment opportunities in emerging fields such as data analysis, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing. The focus has shifted towards reskilling and upskilling the workforce to adapt to the changing demands of the digital age.

3. Technological Advancements:

The comical portrayal of the assembly line chaos and the characters’ struggles reflects the challenges workers faced in adapting to these new methods and technologies. Outdated machinery and mechanical failureshighlighted the limitations and unreliability of technology during the industrial era.

In contrast to the technological advancements depicted in “Modern Times”, modern technologies serve a broader purpose than just an increase in productivity.  Process automation allows us to automate repetitive tasks while reducing the risk of errors. Technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data provide us with more accurate (contextualized) insights, enabling agile and intelligent decision-making.

Although cutting edge technologies like AI will eventually find their way into the industrial landscape. The main purpose is not to replace their human counterpart but rather to enrich or extend human capabilities.

4. Human-Machine Interaction:

The film humorously depicted Tramp struggling with the demands of machinery, emphasizing the human struggle to adapt to the rapid pace of technological advancements.

Human-machine interaction has come a long way since the production of Modern Times. Most organizations have managed to implement systems like Manufacturing Executions Systems (MES), Human Machine Interfaces (HMI) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) to separate the humans from the physical process ensuring safety and efficiency.

Although Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are not yet common practice in the manufacturing industry, we are seeing more and more use cases for these technologies as training and simulation tools. The future will clarify how these technologies enable further interaction between humans and machines.

Conclusion:

"Modern Times" provided a critical commentary on the dehumanizing effects of the industrial era, emphasizing the alienation and unemployment. Industry 3.0 and 4.0 leverage automation, digitalization and emerging technologies to enhance efficiency, organizational resilience and create customer-centric manufacturing.