Main content

What Will Happen When Robots Take Our Jobs?

A recent study calculated that 47% of total employment in the US is at risk of automation in the next 20 years. What will it mean for the humans who once did that work?

Robots are coming for your job. Blue-collar jobs in industries like manufacturing have been disappearing for years but now white-collar work is under threat too. Machines are already taking roles that used to be done by journalists, lawyers and even anaesthetists. One recent study calculated that 47% of total employment in the US is at risk of automation in the next 20 years.

So what will happen to all the human beings who did those jobs? Will we invent enough new jobs to keep them occupied? If not, how will they fill their time? And how will they earn money? The Inquiry – still made by humans, for now, – brings you answers.

(Photo: A robot stands with workers at a Japanese employee supply company. Credit: Getty Images)

Available now

23 minutes

Last on

Sun 23 Aug 2015 13:06GMT

Clip

Broadcasts

  • Tue 18 Aug 2015 02:06GMT
  • Tue 18 Aug 2015 03:06GMT
  • Tue 18 Aug 2015 04:06GMT
  • Tue 18 Aug 2015 05:06GMT
  • Tue 18 Aug 2015 06:06GMT
  • Tue 18 Aug 2015 12:06GMT
  • Tue 18 Aug 2015 13:06GMT
  • Tue 18 Aug 2015 16:06GMT
  • Tue 18 Aug 2015 21:06GMT
  • Sat 22 Aug 2015 23:06GMT
  • Sun 23 Aug 2015 02:06GMT
  • Sun 23 Aug 2015 04:06GMT
  • Sun 23 Aug 2015 13:06GMT

Featured in...

Podcast