Robots will not take over all our jobs

Robots will not take over all our jobs

Artificial Intelligence; Automation

Article:

1. There has been anxiety about automation that it would eliminate many jobs. However, a recent study indicates the fear of robot taking over jobs is improbable.

Analysis:

2. The paper ‘Benign effects of automation: New evidences from patent texts” (2017) by Katja Mann and Lukas Puttman studied the impact of automation on employment

3. The researchers used a machine-learning algorithm to identify patents filled in the USA between 1976 and 2014 that were related to automation.

4. Total 5 million patents were granted during this period

5. The share of innovation concerned with automation rose from 25% in 1976 to 67% in 2014.

6. It was observed that regions which experienced greater automation because of these patents also witnessed increase in employment.

7. Automation led to a loss in manufacturing employment, but this was more than compensated by a rise in service sector employment.