Robots + Human Intelligence: How It Might Work

More Robots, Fewer Jobs? 



By Mira RojanasakulMira Rojanasakul and Peter CoyPeter Coy May 8, 2017            

Are you about to be replaced by a robot?
The question has broad implications for the U.S. economy, especially the manufacturing sector. Industries that robotize tend to increase output.

But robots can have dire consequences for workers.

Two economists recently concluded that both jobs and wages fall in parts of the U.S. where more robots are installed.
....and there are other conclusions also. 

The March 2017 study by Daron Acemoglu of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Pascual Restrepo of Boston University shows the commuting zones—i.e., local labor markets—where robot installations have grown the most.

Note: The period covered by the study ended right before the recession of 2007–09. Acemoglu and Restrepo said the recession introduced too many variables that affected employment, which would have made it more difficult to isolate the impact of robots.

So what’s happened since the recession, and what does it mean for manufacturing jobs? We gathered and plotted data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for various manufacturing sectors to try to get a better sense. Obviously, this type of analysis doesn’t let you draw the direct conclusions Acemoglu and Restrepo were able to make about robots. But you do see some interesting trends when it comes to manufacturing employment. . .

Bottom line: Robots do replace workers. On the other hand, some industries that don't automate end up losing workers anyway, because their costs are too high and their customers go elsewhere. For workers, robots are only part of the problem.



Read more from the article here >>