Skip to main content current edition: International edition The Guardian - Back to home Become a supporter Subscribe Find a job Jobs Sign in Search Show More Close with google sign in become a supporter subscribe search find a job dating more from the guardian: change edition: edition International edition The Guardian - Back to home browse all sections close Robots Robots won't just take our jobs – they'll make the rich even richer Robotics and artificial intelligence will continue to improve – but without political change such as a tax, the outcome will range from bad to apocalyptic Instead of making it possible to create more wealth with less labor, automation might make it possible to create more wealth without labor. labor, automation might make it possible to create more wealth without labor. Photograph: Paul Hanna/Reuters Robots Robots won't just take our jobs – they'll make the rich even richer Robotics and artificial intelligence will continue to improve – but without political change such as a tax, the outcome will range from bad to apocalyptic Ben Tarnoff Ben Tarnoff in San Francisco @bentarnoff Thu 2 Mar ‘17 11. 00 GMT Last modified on Thu 2 Mar ‘17 15. -- What if your ATM could not only give you a hundred bucks, but sell you an adjustable-rate mortgage? While the current rhetoric around artificial intelligence is overhyped, there have been meaningful advances over the past several years. And it’s not inconceivable that much bigger breakthroughs are on the horizon. -- – original drama video Read more These dystopias may sound like science fiction, but they’re perfectly plausible given our current trajectory. The technology around robotics and artificial intelligence will continue to improve – but without substantive political change, the outcome will range from bad to apocalyptic for most people. That’s why the recent rumblings about a robot tax are worth taking seriously. -- Then, perhaps, the idea that wealth should be owned by the many, rather than monopolized by the few, won’t seem so radical, and we can undertake a bit of sorely needed redistribution – before robot capitalism kills us all. Topics more on this story Robots could destabilise world through war and unemployment, says UN United Nations opens new centre in Netherlands to monitor artificial intelligence and second-guess threats Published: 27 Sep 2017 Robots could destabilise world through war and unemployment, says UN Robots have already taken over our work, but they’re made of flesh and bone Brett Frischmann and Evan Selinger The triumph of ‘digital Taylorism’ means that many jobs in the modern economy have been sapped of their humanity, write professors Brett Frischmann and Evan Selinger Published: 25 Sep 2017 Robots have already taken over our work, but they’re made of flesh and bone Robots 'could take 4m UK private sector jobs within 10 years' Royal Society of Arts survey suggests technology could phase out mundane roles, raise productivity and bolster wages Published: 19 Sep 2017 Robots 'could take 4m UK private sector jobs within 10 years' Deutsche Bank boss says 'big number' of staff will lose jobs to automation John Cryan told conference in Frankfurt that accountants could be replaced by machines, while also saying that Frankfurt is ideally placed to benefit from Brexit Published: 6 Sep 2017 Deutsche Bank boss says 'big number' of staff will lose jobs to automation + Robots and AI can bring down pension age, says TUC Published: 4 Sep 2017 Robots and AI can bring down pension age, says TUC + The future of funerals? Robot priest launched to undercut human-led rites Published: 23 Aug 2017 The future of funerals?