The Forces of Automation and the Future of the Labor Force

Automation is not a new phenomenon, and fears about its disruption of the workplace and effects on employment date back centuries. But rapid recent advances in automation technologies, including artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and robotics are now raising these fears anew. We will discuss some of the questions most often raised in the public debate: Will there be enough work in the future to maintain full employment, and if so what will that work be?  Which occupations will thrive, and which ones will wither? What are the potential implications for skills and wages as machines perform some of the tasks that humans now do?