Robotland Bookstore

Monday, October 10, 2011

How AI and robots will replace your job

"Robots, vending machines and touch screen kiosks are increasingly replacing human workers." (LA Times March 2011)
"The person who is making most sushi of the sushi of the revolving conveyor-belt sushi restaurant is "Sushi robot."! (Rie Hara, Japanese Element Symbols. 2009)

How will job automation impact the economy in the future? How will the offshore outsourcing trend evolve in the coming years? What impact will technologies such as robotics and artificial intelligence have on the job market?
Did technology play a significant role in the 2007 subprime meltdown and the subsequent global financial crisis and recession? How fast can we expect technological change to occur in the coming years and decades?
Which jobs and industries are likely to be most vulnerable to automation and offshoring?

Martin Ford, the founder of a Silicon Valley-based software development firm, employs a powerful thought experiment to explore the economy of the future in his book "The Lights in the Tunnel: Automation, Accelerating Technology and the Economy of the Future". An imaginary "tunnel of lights" is used to visualize the economic implications of the new technologies that are likely to appear in the coming years and decades. The book directly challenges conventional views of the future and illuminates the danger that lies ahead if we do not plan for the impact of rapidly advancing technology. It also shows how the economic realities of the future might offer solutions to issues such as poverty and climate change.

Check also out the video below from September 2011 future tense event with Slate technology columnist Farhad Manjoo and a panel of experts explored questions about opportunities and risks with robots.

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