2014/02/BIG and Technological Unemployment

title/short::BIG and Technological Unemployment Abstract: The paper rehearses arguments for and against the prediction of massive technological unemployment. The main argument in favor is that robots are entering a large number of industries, making more expensive human labor redundant. The main argument against the prediction is that for two hundred years we have seen a massive increase in productivity with no long term structural unemployment caused by automation. The paper attempts to move past this argumentative impasse by asking what humans contribute to the supply side of the economy. Historically, humans have contributed muscle and brains to production but we are now being outcompeted by machinery, in both areas, in many jobs. It is argued that this supports the conjecture that massive unemployment is a likely result. It is also argued that a basic income guarantee is a minimal remedial measure to mitigate the worst effects of technological unemployment.
 * when: when posted::2014/02
 * author: author::Mark Walker
 * source: site::Journal of Evolution and Technology
 * topics: topic::jobsolescence topic::Guaranteed minimum income
 * keywords
 * link: URL::http://jetpress.org/v24/walker.htm
 * title: title::BIG and Technological Unemployment: Chicken Little Versus the Economists
 * summary: "The paper rehearses arguments for and against the prediction of massive technological unemployment."