Technological Unemployment

Technological Unemployment is about the societal impacts of technologies. Danaher defines technological unemployment “as the replacement of human workers […] by technological alternatives (machines, computer programs, robots and so forth)”. Furthermore, he assumes that artificial intelligence and robots will take over the work of humans in future. This is one reason why technological developments often come with people´s fear of the consequences. Everything is automated to such an extent that human work is no longer needed. [1]
Loi argues that ICT technologies and the substitution of human work with computer-driven automation are associated with a risk of human disenhancement. The current technological developments substitute particularly middle-class jobs and leads to greater competition for jobs. [2]
Therefore, it is not surprising that there is often scepticism about new technologies, also under civil servants.

[1]    Danaher, J. (2017), Will Life Be Worth Living in a World Without Work? Technological Unemployment and the Meaning of Life, Science and Engineering Ethics, 23(1), 41-64.
[2]    Loi, M. (2015), Technological unemployment and human disenhancement, Ethics and Information Technology, 17(3), 201-210; doi 10.1007/s10676-015-9375-8