Driverless cars, delivery drones and robotic doctors are all moving from the realm of science fiction toward economic fact – examples of intelligent machines which could play an increasing role in our lives as technological horizons expand. What are the implications for growth, jobs and opportunity – both for ourselves and our children? The fear that new technologies will fundamentally disrupt the labour force goes back centuries – yet with each wave of innovation the workforce has found new productive roles and the economy has continued to expand. But some predict that the rise of the robots will be different, meaning sweeping changes in production which dislocate large tranches of the workforce and usher in an age of escalating inequality. This event did not just debate the real impact of the rise of robots but considered how labour market, welfare and educational institutions may need to adapt to ensure a commitment to social equity in new times.
