The Impact of Robotics and Automation on Working Conditions and Employment

The IEEE Robotics and Automation Research and Practice Ethics Committee (RARPEC) is intended as a platform to exchange ideas and discuss the impacts and practice of robotics and automation (R&A) technologies in research, development, and deployment that appear to pose ethical questions for humanity. With increased awareness and controversies surrounding R&A, RARPEC is publishing a series of opinion pieces that will focus on separating hype from reality by providing an objective and balanced treatment of technological, ethical, legal, and societal perspectives. Second in the series, this piece focuses on topics related to robots, jobs, and workforce development. Please send your feedback and suggestions to the chair of the committee, Raj Madhavan, at raj. madhavan@ieee.org. We look forward to your comments!