As Machining Evolves will Automation be the end of the Machinist?

Last week a great point was made by an instructor at a vocational high school that we need to jump on, discuss and try and resolve. The instructor had one of his gifted machining students remove themselves from the program sighting the point that “Robots are replacing machinists”. https://www.mscdirect.com/betterMRO/metalworking/machining-skills-gap-%E... If you watch this ad from the University of Phoenix you just might think the same thing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpprlfnSxEw If we considered the future of machining is there room for all of the people we need now? Will the people that we literally beg to get into the trade be able to make a long and successful career here? Will technology impact machining with Robotics, 3D Printing, 5G and the Internet of Things? With the tremendous advantages of these technologies how could they not? Will we still need machined surfaces for whatever type of engine is used to make airplanes fly? Ships? Perhaps automobiles won’t have as many machined surfaces with electricity being the force that drives them. What about the transmissions for these vehicles? Can you imagine a 3D printed part with the accuracy required to make a clock work? How about a gun? In the end it will take people and very skilled people at that to bring all of this technology together into factories and processes that manufacture the critical machined components that the modern world has always needed and will continue to need. Will the future need machinists? My answer is “YES”! What’s yours?