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This doesn’t seem controversial in economics. If robots increase the value produced by non-robotic workers there will be increased demand for them.
by mathattack 5y ago
This doesn’t seem controversial in economics. If robots increase the value produced by non-robotic workers there will be increased demand for them.
- vidarh 5y agoAt a firm level, sure. In aggregate that only works as long as aggregate demand for products and services rises faster than the output per unit of labour.
- mathattack 5y agoWhen has it not?
- vidarh 5y agoAll of agriculture is a good example. We produce far more food today while agriculture employs a far smaller proportion of the population. The improved productivity in agriculture has in no way increased demand for agricultural labour proportional to the increases in productivity. If you mean across all products, we're not there yet, not least because population growth has provided ongoing stimulus. Whether that continues as growth rates in more and more countries flatline remains to be seen.
- mathattack 5y agoDemand shifts to other things. We’ve always been capable of inventing new desires.