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High Tech, Low Growth: Robots and the Future of Work

High Tech, Low Growth: Robots and the Future of Work AbstractFor decades futurists, academics and business experts have argued that automation, robots and other new technology would eliminate millions of jobs. Yet the workforce in the US has continued to grow, even if more slowly, to new heights. Work has changed, but the predicted ‘end of work’ failed to materialise even as technology has advanced, albeit unevenly. This article will argue that the answer to this apparent riddle is not to be found in analysing the technology itself, but in Marxist political economy. The progress of robots and related technology will be examined, but the argument is that the limits on technical progress in the actual production of goods and services lie in the turbulence of capitalism since the 1970s with its uneven profit rates. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Historical Materialism Brill

High Tech, Low Growth: Robots and the Future of Work

Historical Materialism , Volume 26 (4): 32 – Dec 17, 2018

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References (12)

Publisher
Brill
Copyright
Copyright © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
ISSN
1465-4466
eISSN
1569-206X
DOI
10.1163/1569206X-00001745
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

AbstractFor decades futurists, academics and business experts have argued that automation, robots and other new technology would eliminate millions of jobs. Yet the workforce in the US has continued to grow, even if more slowly, to new heights. Work has changed, but the predicted ‘end of work’ failed to materialise even as technology has advanced, albeit unevenly. This article will argue that the answer to this apparent riddle is not to be found in analysing the technology itself, but in Marxist political economy. The progress of robots and related technology will be examined, but the argument is that the limits on technical progress in the actual production of goods and services lie in the turbulence of capitalism since the 1970s with its uneven profit rates.

Journal

Historical MaterialismBrill

Published: Dec 17, 2018

There are no references for this article.