Technological unemployment

Technological unemployment is the loss of jobs due to technological change. It is a key type of structural unemployment. Technological change typically includes the introduction of labour-saving "mechanical-muscle" machines or more efficient "mechanical-mind" processes (automation) and, in doing so, humans' role in these processes are minimized. Historical examples include artisan weavers losing work due to the introduction of mechanized looms, leading to protests by the Luddites. A contemporary example of technological unemployment is the displacement of retail cashiers by self-service tills and cashierless stores.

Technological change can cause short-term job losses in a specific profession or industry. Whether it leads to lasting increases in unemployment has been debated. The phrase "technological unemployment" was popularised by John Maynard Keynes in the 1930s, who said it was "only a temporary phase of maladjustment".

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have reignited debates about the possibility of mass unemployment, or even the end of employment altogether. Some experts, such as Geoffrey Hinton, believe that the development of artificial general intelligence and advanced robotics will eventually enable the automation of all intellectual and physical tasks, suggesting the need for a basic income for non-workers to subsist. Others, like Daron Acemoğlu, argue that humans will remain necessary for certain tasks, or complementary to AI, disrupting the labor market without necessarily causing mass unemployment. The World Bank's 2019 World Development Report argues that while automation displaces workers, technological innovation creates more new industries and jobs on balance.

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