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The Compass: Automation Nation: Are we heading for a world without work?

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Automation Nation

16/06/2021 GMT

Are we heading for a world without work?

BBC World Service - The Compass, Automation Nation, Are we heading for a world without work?

Could automation lead to the end of work, and what would that mean for the world?

Daniel Susskind asks whether rising automation could lead to a world without work, and examines what that could mean for society.

Speaking with a variety of experts and working Americans, Daniel Susskind considers how we might negotiate a world without work. He hears the story of Youngstown, Ohio, where the collapse of the steel industry in the 1970s led to severe job losses and created a perfect storm of societal problems that a fresh wave of rapid automation could replicate on a mass scale. If we’re to avoid such a future, we’re going to have to rethink our attitudes towards taxation, wealth distribution, and even the nature of work itself.

The Compass: Automation Nation

Daniel Susskind explores automation’s impact on the future of work in America.

Technology has complemented our work since the invention of the wheel, but we may finally be approaching a point where automation stands to replace some human jobs entirely. Economist Dr Daniel Susskind explores how automation is affecting work in the United States, from fully automated restaurants to driverless trucks, and hears from the people whose livelihoods are being affected. A world without work could be a utopia, but without the correct policy to ensure people still have incomes and a sense of purpose, it could look more like a nightmare.

Image: A robotic hand touches a human hand (Credit: Getty Images)

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