Heralding here on Ithaka of the advancing robotoids hasn't exactly played boffo on Broadway but maybe a UN report will be more convincing with regard to job displacements due to robot automation. (Wichita Business Journal: Where robots really threaten jobs)
The increased use of robots in developed countries risks eroding the traditional labour- cost advantage of developing countries. If robots are considered a form of capital that is a close substitute for low-skilled workers, then their growing use reduces the share of human labour in total production costs. Adverse effects for developing countries may be signi cant. According to some estimates, for developing countries as a group, the “share of occupations that could experience signi cant automation is actually higher in developing countries than in more advanced ones, where many of these jobs have already disappeared”, and this concerns about two thirds of all jobs.
The increased use of robots in developed countries risks eroding the traditional labour- cost advantage of developing countries. If robots are considered a form of capital that is a close substitute for low-skilled workers, then their growing use reduces the share of human labour in total production costs. Adverse effects for developing countries may be signi cant. According to some estimates, for developing countries as a group, the “share of occupations that could experience signi cant automation is actually higher in developing countries than in more advanced ones, where many of these jobs have already disappeared”, and this concerns about two thirds of all jobs.
That thinking continues in the report with the idea of 'reshoring' which is bring back to the host country any jobs which migrated out to developing nations. It's an imposing format in the report but you may wish to plow through it anyway. Note the specific significance in jobs losses in the nations to which jobs went.
Source: UNCTAD secretariat calculations, based on International Federation of Robotics, 2015, World Robotics 2015: Industrial Robots, available at http://www.ifr.org/industrial-robots/statistics/ (accessed 19 October 2016).
Source: UNCTAD secretariat calculations, based on International Federation of Robotics, 2015, World Robotics 2015: Industrial Robots, available at http://www.ifr.org/industrial-robots/statistics/ (accessed 19 October 2016).
One emphasis on Ithaka has been on robotics which do more than bolt fenders to cars. The chart shows there's a great deal of that but it also reveals the expansion into multiple fields. Judging by the research I've been tracking, there's a whole lot more of this coming and not only in the context of low-skills jobs.
This article is more utilitarian than most and trying to jazz it up in any way won't serve any useful purpose. The reading is kind of thick in the source articles but you may find it worthwhile.
Source: UNCTAD secretariat calculations, based on International Federation of Robotics, 2015, World Robotics 2015: Industrial Robots, available at http://www.ifr.org/industrial-robots/statistics/ (accessed 19 October 2016).
China shows as clearly going for a major lead in robotics with at least double the investment in it relative to everywhere else.
Maybe the next question is what do these robos do.
One emphasis on Ithaka has been on robotics which do more than bolt fenders to cars. The chart shows there's a great deal of that but it also reveals the expansion into multiple fields. Judging by the research I've been tracking, there's a whole lot more of this coming and not only in the context of low-skills jobs.
This article is more utilitarian than most and trying to jazz it up in any way won't serve any useful purpose. The reading is kind of thick in the source articles but you may find it worthwhile.
No comments:
Post a Comment