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AI Destiny and Robot Density

The Aspen Institute is worried about automation
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A stark warning from a recent Aspen Institute report: The U.S. economy won’t be able to absorb AI/robotics-driven automation (don’t worry, there’s an “unless”).

As far as how this cookie crumbles, there are two camps:

  • Team It’ll Be OK: Historically, automation (from the Industrial Revolution to the ATM) has boosted growth, productivity, and “new collar” job creation. In the U.S., it has fostered a service- and knowledge-based economy.
  • Team This Time It’s Different: All bets are off with AI, since it can automate physical and cognitive work.

Aspen gets Team #1, agreeing that AI and robotics benefit the economy. But its heart is with Team #2. AI will produce “deeper, faster, broader, and more disruptive automation,” the think tank warns. Still, the side effects of harder/better/faster/stronger tech can be absorbed by:

  • Investment in education, job training, and reskilling
  • Building out the public safety net
  • Employer-employee contracts with workplace protections

Stat check: The U.S. has 200 robots per 10,000 employees, according to the International Federation of Robotics.

Stay up to date on tech

Drones, automation, AI, and more. The technologies that will shape the future of business, all in one newsletter.