Are robots finally replacing humans? Does the emerging age of artificial
intelligence and automation mean we will soon see "peak jobs" and the
need for a Universal Basic Income to support a widening swath of hapless
citizens unsuited for employment in a primarily "knowledge" workforce?
Improving productivity--reducing labor hours per unit of product or
service--has been the hallmark of economic progress for centuries. But
advances due to robots and AI, some say, will be fundamentally different
because digital machines are ready to revolutionize the nature of work
in nearly every sector, not just one or two. But the lessons of history
and the realities of technologies suggest that, despite yet more
disruption, the overall result will be net job gains and faster
economic growth.