The big fear (well, one of them) is that robots will become so clever and steal our jobs and we’ll all be doomed.
It’s true that technology kills lots of jobs, and it’s also true that technology has created more jobs than it has destroyed in the past 140-odd years.
In 2015, Deloitte economists studied employment data spanning 144 years to assess how technological change has affected employment in England and Wales. They found that:
- Technology has been saving us from dull, repetitive and dangerous work
- Technological innovation has resulted in fewer humans being deployed as sources of muscle power and more engaged in jobs involving the nursing and care of others
- Technology has boosted employment in knowledge-intensive sectors such as medicine, accounting and professional services
- Technology has lowered the cost of essentials, raising disposable incomes and creating new demand and jobs
In 1871, there was one hairdresser for every 1,793 English and Welsh citizens; now there is one for every 287.
Shame I’m now bald.
