The coming great transformation

Those looking forward see the possibility—or even likelihood—of a far greater transformation,as robots equipped with artificial intelligence replace humans. Robots are stronger. They can actwith more precision. They can process more information faster. They can even learn. We do notknow the limits of these robots and our reactions to them, or how fast AI robotization will occur.The Japanese have invented robots for eldercare—lifting an aged patient and gently giving hima bath. Presumably, we could program the robot to sing or talk to the patient in a way that wasoptimally soothing. The focus of concern, however, is not the virtues of these robots but theirimpacts on jobs. There is, for instance, a growing view that in truck driving, driverless vehicles will take over, possibly as soon as five years. The worry is that our market economy will not, onits own, be able to create new jobs with comparable pay for those who are losing their jobs.