A new technological epoch is underway – the so-called Machine Age – reflecting advances in artificial intelligence, digitalisation and Big Data. Some commentators have claimed that this epoch is different from previous ones in that it will produce large-scale technological unemployment, while others argue the contrary. Only time will judge who is right on this...

This white paper is the outcome of an international dialogue series, organised by the World Economic Forum. It is intended to be a resource for governments, business and other stakeholders interested in strengthening the enabling environment for human capital formation in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The current wave of digital transformation is rapidly changing industrial production processes. The Internet of Things, cloud computing and other innovations facilitate a more software-driven, individual and efficient way of producing goods and services. And it presents a formidable challenge to EU policymakers, since only a successful transformation of European industry in general and of...

This paper investigates basic relationships between technology and occupations. Building a general occupational model, I look at detailed occupations since 1980 to explore whether computers are related to job losses or other sources of wage inequality. Occupations that use computers grow faster, not slower. This is true even for highly routine and mid-wage occupations. Estimates...

As automation technologies such as machine learning and robotics play an increasingly great role in everyday life, their potential effect on the workplace has, unsurprisingly, become a major focus of research and public concern. The discussion tends toward a Manichean guessing game: which jobs will or won’t be replaced by machines?