The Substitution of Labor : From Technological Feasibility to Other Factors Influencing Job Automation

Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics can perform an increasingly wider variety of job activities, and automation is no longer confined to routine tasks. Nevertheless, the automation potential for non-routine tasks seems to remain limited, especially for tasks involving autonomous mobility, creativity, problem solving, and complex communication. This report is the fifth report from the three-year research project, The Internet and its Direct and Indirect Effects on Innovation and the Swedish Economy, under the leadership of Professor Robin Teigland. The research project examines the feasibility of a number of technologies to replace labor. Some of the key findings from the report include the following:• A majority of jobs will be affected by the automation of individual activities, but only a few have the potential to be completely substituted. • The nature of jobs will change as mundane tasks will be substituted and people will work more closely together with machines. • Industries that have a large potential for activity substitution are food and accommodation services, transportation and warehousing, retail trade, wholesale trade, and manufacturing