[h=1]Bill Gates: Yes, robots really are about to take your jobs[/h]
Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates isnt going to sugarcoat things: The increasing power of automation technology is going to put a lot of people out of work. Business Insider reports that Gates gave a talk at the American Enterprise Institute think tank in Washington, DC this week and said that both governments and businesses need to start preparing for a future where lots of people will be put out of work by software and robots.
Software substitution, whether its for drivers or waiters or nurses its progressing, Gates said. Technology over time will reduce demand for jobs, particularly at the lower end of skill set 20 years from now, labor demand for lots of skill sets will be substantially lower. I dont think people have that in their mental model.
As for what governments should do to prevent social unrest in the wake of mass unemployment, the Microsoft cofounder said that they should basically get on their knees and beg businesses to keep employing humans over algorithms. This means perhaps eliminating payroll and corporate income taxes while also not raising the minimum wage so that businesses will feel comfortable employing people at dirt-cheap wages instead of outsourcing their jobs to an iPad.
And its not just low-skilled workers who will have to worry about automation. As Business Insider points out, The Economist earlier this year predicted that high-paying jobs such as accountants, real estate sales agents and commercial pilots would all lose their jobs to software within the next 20 years.
http://bgr.com/2014/03/14/bill-gates-interview-robots/
Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates isnt going to sugarcoat things: The increasing power of automation technology is going to put a lot of people out of work. Business Insider reports that Gates gave a talk at the American Enterprise Institute think tank in Washington, DC this week and said that both governments and businesses need to start preparing for a future where lots of people will be put out of work by software and robots.
Software substitution, whether its for drivers or waiters or nurses its progressing, Gates said. Technology over time will reduce demand for jobs, particularly at the lower end of skill set 20 years from now, labor demand for lots of skill sets will be substantially lower. I dont think people have that in their mental model.
As for what governments should do to prevent social unrest in the wake of mass unemployment, the Microsoft cofounder said that they should basically get on their knees and beg businesses to keep employing humans over algorithms. This means perhaps eliminating payroll and corporate income taxes while also not raising the minimum wage so that businesses will feel comfortable employing people at dirt-cheap wages instead of outsourcing their jobs to an iPad.
And its not just low-skilled workers who will have to worry about automation. As Business Insider points out, The Economist earlier this year predicted that high-paying jobs such as accountants, real estate sales agents and commercial pilots would all lose their jobs to software within the next 20 years.
http://bgr.com/2014/03/14/bill-gates-interview-robots/
