Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future

The New York Timesbestselling guide to how automation is changing the economy, undermining work, and reshaping our livesWinner of Best Business Book of the Year awards from the Financial Times and from ForbesLucid, comprehensive, and unafraid . . . ;an indispensable contribution to a longrunning argument. Los Angeles TimesWhat are the jobs of the future? How many will there be? And who will have them? As technology continues to accelerate and machines begin taking care of themselves, fewer people will be necessary. Artificial intelligence is already well on its way to making good jobs obsolete: many paralegals, journalists, office workers, and even computer programmers are poised to be replaced by robots and smart software. As progress continues, blue and white collar jobs alike will evaporate, squeezing working and middleclass families ever further. At the same time, households are under assault from exploding costs, especially from the two major industrieseducation and health carethat, so far, have not been transformed by information technology. The result could well be massive unemployment and inequality as well as the implosion of the consumer economy itself.The past solutions to technological disruption, especially more training and education, arent going to work. We must decide, now, whether the future will see broadbased prosperity or catastrophic levels of inequality and economic insecurity. Rise of the Robots is essential reading to understand what accelerating technology means for our economic prospectsnot to mention those of our childrenas well as for society as a whole.