45% of U.S. Jobs Vulnerable To Automation

An anonymous reader writes "A new report out of Oxford has found that the next 20 years will see 45% of America's workforce replaced by computerized automation. 'The authors believe this takeover will happen in two stages. First, computers will start replacing people in especially vulnerable fields like transportation/logistics, production labor, and administrative support. Jobs in services, sales, and construction may also be lost in this first stage. Then, the rate of replacement will slow down due to bottlenecks in harder-to-automate fields such engineering. This "technological plateau" will be followed by a second wave of computerization, dependent upon the development of good artificial intelligence. This could next put jobs in management, science and engineering, and the arts at risk.' 45% is a big number. Politicians have been yelling themselves hoarse over the jobs issue in this country for the past few years, and the current situation isn't anywhere near as bad. At what point will we start seeing legislation forbidding the automation of certain industries?"

Comments

Let's re-evaluate trade policy

[fyngyrz]

Speaking from a US centric POV, we need to enter a period of protectionism. Otherwise, what remains of our economy will follow the rest down the drain, and we will instead enter a truly ugly period of deep need for the general population.

The answer isn't to continue to marginalize our workers; the answer is to serve people's needs from within our own resource base, both material and labor.

Until or unless automation can provide an environment of zero scarcity, the imbalance between labor costs elsewhere and here will continue to erode the standard of living and job opportunities for the workforce.