developments, some argue that large shares of jobs are "at risk of automation", spurring public fears of massive job-losses and …. First, the chapter discusses estimates of automation potentials, showing that many estimates are severely upward biased …

We develop an assignment model of automation. Each of a continuum of tasks of variable complexity is assigned to either … capital or one of a continuum of labor skills. We characterize conditions for interior automation, whereby tasks of … intermediate complexity are assigned to capital. Interior automation arises when the most skilled workers have a comparative …