What impact will automation have on future society?

Advantages commonly attributed to automation include higher production rates and increased productivity, more efficient use of materials, better product quality, improved safety, shorter workweeks for labour, and reduced factory lead times.

Do you think machines could replace human workers in the future?

Yes, robots will replace humans for many jobs, just as innovative farming equipment replaced humans and horses during the industrial revolution. Factory floors deploy robots that are increasingly driven by machine learning algorithms such that they can adjust to people working alongside them.

What is the impact of robots to our society?

While there may be a negative effect on some labor segments, robots and automation increase productivity, lower production costs, and can create new jobs in the tech sector.

Can robots replace human workers in manufacturing?

Robots could replace as many as 2 million more workers in manufacturing alone by 2025, according to a recent paper by economists at MIT and Boston University.

Will we be able to automate our lives in the future?

Just because we have developed something, we do not have to use it. We, as a society, might be able to fully automate our lives in the future, either by machine learning, bio-engineering or some other technology, overcoming the technological boundaries envisaged in the previous scenario.

Is artificial intelligence research the main enabler for future automation?

In this context, artificial intelligence research is considered to be the main enabler for future automation. Artificial intelligence research was full of promises and controversial discussions several decades ago, when scientists focussed on expert systems in the 1980s.

Will we use the technology available to automate our jobs?

Most discussions about automation build on the assumption that we will use the technology available. Yet humans are irrational decision makers. Hence, we might selectively automate tasks that we do not like and keep the rest, even if the output would be of a lower quality.

Can humans overcome the technological limitations of our society?

Our society could also shift away from its technological innovation trajectory, because of potential resource scarcity, pollution, conflicts or other external influences. In this scenario, humans could overcome the technological limitations from scenario one.