In the recent times, Apple manufacturer Foxconn has been in controversies more for the negative publicity than the positive one. The recent news does not added much to the public image either. The Taiwanese manufacturing giant, which has ties with Apple products mass productions, is planning to automate a large part of its manufacturing process. In essence, they are going to replace a majority of their human workers with their own robots.

This news was reported stating that the company is going into the era of automation and welcoming it with open arms. Dai Jia-peng, the general manager of Foxconn Automation Committee has categorically stated that the company has plans to completely automate its Chinese factories. They plan to replace the human workforce with Foxbots, the company's in-house robotic units supported by apt software.

Apparently, the first phase of this 3-phase process has already started. What does it involve? The Foxbots have already replaced humans with robots where either the work is too dangerous or where the employee is unwilling to undertake it, for one reason or other. The second phase is basically about the company trying to improve its own efficiently by lessening the number of robots used and produced.

The final phase ends with the complete automation of the factories involved "with only a minimal number of workers assigned for production, logistics, testing, and inspection processes," according to Jia-peng. 

Foxconn has already embarked on the robotic route, and they had previously reported that they would automate their 30% China based factories by the year 2020. The company is producing almost 10,000 Foxbots every year and they can all be utilised to completely oust human labor. In March 2016, Foxconn had automated 60,000 jobs in one factory. From a commercial point of view it is indeed a sound decision because the recurring cost of human labour will be reduced to a great extent.

However, the research and development of this aspect is difficult and expensive because it takes efforts to program and further reprogram a robot. This is the reason human workers have still not been completely replaced just yet. However, Foxconn is going to cash in on this opportunity and improve its efficiency. It should be noted that in 2015, Foxconn alone had employed a large chunk of the Chinese population (almost 1.2 million people) who live in sprawling company cities across China.

Another aspect of automation is the fact that Foxconn will be able to run away from the negative employer image that has plagued it since a few years. However, this decision would result in the loss of thousands of job- are the stakeholders ready for such a radical change?