Articles

Labour-saving technologies: Russian Orientalists discuss the future

Vostok/Oriens '2018, №2

DOI: 10.7868/S0869190818020139

 
The paper aims to make some conclusions from the discussion on the influence of labour-saving technologies on the social and economic development of Asian states, industrial robots production in China, home states of the leading world robot producers and social consequences of robotics spread in developed and developing states. National robots production was created in Chine. The leading world industrial robot producers are European and Japanese firms and not the US ones. American experts polling has shown that a half of them consider robotics and artificial intelligence as a serious threat to labour market. Others see no problem in robotics spread. At the same time, the research shows that robotics and artificial intelligence will result in considerable changes of the labour market in developed economies. Not only blue-collar workers, but also medical professionals and school and university teachers may be replaced by robots and artificial intelligence. Labour-saving technologies represent a threat to social and political development of developing countries because industrialization will not require more jobs and traditional urban labour market coupled with demonstration effect of globalization may result in increasing political instability.

Keywords: China robot production, world robot producers, social sequences of labour-saving technologies, artificial intellect, political instability

Pages: С. 142–150