As technology continues to grow and expand its boundaries in the 21st century, analysts have started to question the legitimacy of incorporating robots into security systems. More specifically, the potential for robots to be used as a substitute for Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) agents during the airport security checkpoint process has been considered. Ultimately, the potential benefits seem to outweigh the costs, with the general concept of robotic security making a whole lot of sense in the big picture.

We have all had the feeling at one point or another, walking into the airport and seeing a line seemingly a mile long which of course turns out to be an incredibly busy security checkpoint. Although for the most part the (TSA) does an excellent job in expediting the screening process as much as possible, wait times for airports across the country continue to skyrocket. One of the main reasons for this includes a reported significant labor shortage by TSA agents, leading to overworked and understaffed airport agencies. This not only speaks worries for the individuals trying to board the flights, but also is potentially worrisome because of the challenges that a fatigued TSA security agent can pose. All it takes is one missed prohibited device in the screening process to put the TSA under major fire, which has been documented recently.

Airport security faced the majority of its scrutiny following the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Despite vastly increasing the security levels since the attacks, airports worldwide have still faced questions about how weapons and certain objects continue to circumvent safety authorities and make their ways on to flights. Although many airports nationwide are reporting increases in the prevention of weapons successfully making it aboard, the simple threat of a firearm testing security is one that sounds much more suited for an automated robot than a human being.

What happens in the next decade remains uncertain, however, I am confident that the traditional security checkpoint at local airports will see complete transformations. Not only will the human error factor be eliminated by a robot conducting a screening process, but the process will without a doubt be quicker, decreasing the well documented mile-long security lines. In reality, the technology has simply become too advanced not to call for an implementation of robotics into TSA screening procedures, regardless of the impact that it will have on American jobs.