Anthropologist Eitan Wilf of Hebrew University of Jerusalem says that sociable robots represent “a cultural resource for negotiating problems of intentionality.”(8) He describes a “jazz-improvising humanoid robot marimba player” that can interpret music context and respond creatively to improvisations on the part of other performers. These machines are capable of creative actions. A key factor in a robot’s ability to be social is their ability to correctly understand and respond to people’s speech and the underlying context or emotion.(7) As robotics become more sophisticated, thanks largely to the smart phone, a new wave of social robots has started, with humanoids Pepper and Jimmy and the mirror-like Jibo, as well as Geppetto Avatars’ software robot, Sophie. They were small cute pets like AIBO, Pleo, and Paro. The early 21st century saw the first wave of companionable social robots. In the contemporary world, there are many robots that perform complex functions. However, in recent years, the average costs of robots have fallen, and in a number of key industries in Asia, the cost of robots and the unit costs of low-wage labor are converging… Robots now represent a viable alternative to labor.”(6) It used to be that the “high costs of industrial robots restricted their use to few high-wage industries like the auto industry. Overall, robotics is expected to rise from a $15-billion sector now to $67 billion by 2025.(5)Īccording to an RBC Global Asset Management study, the costs of robots and automation have fallen substantially. This total rose to around 1.5 million in 2014 and is projected to increase to about 1.9 million in 2017.(4) Japan has the largest number with 306,700, followed by North America (237,400), China (182,300), South Korea (175,600), and Germany (175,200). In 2013, for example, there were an estimated 1.2 million robots in use. Industrial robots are expanding in magnitude around the developed world. If society needs fewer workers due to automation and robotics, and many social benefits are delivered through jobs, how are people outside the workforce for a lengthy period of time going to get health care and pensions? These are profound questions for public policy and we need to figure out how to deliver social benefits in the new digital economy. In this paper, I explore the impact of robots, artificial intelligence, and machine learning on the workforce and public policy. Germany is online retailer Amazon’s second largest market after the USA. They have the potential to ease people’s lives and improve their personal and business dealings.(2) Technology is becoming much more sophisticated and this is having a substantial impact on the workforce.(3) Workers walk among shelves lined with goods at an Amazon warehouse, in Brieselang, Germany. Robots, Augmented Reality, algorithms, and machine-to-machine communications help people with a range of different tasks.(1) These technologies are broad-based in their scope and significant in their ability to transform existing businesses and personal lives. The list of new technologies grows every day.
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