When a factory or warehouse goes robotic, people can lose their jobs.

Opponents of industrial robots in the workforce say unemployment will skyrocket as robots take good-paying jobs away from people.

People in favor of robots say that the kind of work robots take over - such as assembling auto engines, shearing sheep, or inspecting microchips - is often backbreaking and dangerous. They suggest that people will be able to have more satisfying jobs, if robots do most of the difficult manufacturing tasks.

As technology advances, will the jobs lost to robotic workers be made up for by the increase of opportunities in the robotics industry? Are we paying too great a human price, for a short term gain in efficiency? There are no easy answers.