Fear the Economic Singularity

Fear the Economic Singularity

In dystopian science fiction, we are taught to fear the technological singularity – the time when artificial super intelligence advances to a point far beyond human intelligence, with a result that profoundly alters human existence. Vivid imagery of automated weapons of doom working to wipe out human civilization and take over the world – or the galaxy – have terrorized generations of sci-fi fans. Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk, and Bill Gates have warned of its approach. Ray Kurzweil says it will be upon us by 2045, and, as far back as 1942, Isaac Asimov was contriving rules for robots, […]

Workforce polarisation in Tasmania focus of latest Institute insight report

Workforce polarisation in Tasmania focus of latest Institute insight report

Workforce polarisation in Tasmania – growth in the share of high and low skill jobs and the hollowing out of mid-skill jobs – is occurring due to economic restructuring and the shift away from traditional industries, according to a report released today by the University of Tasmania’s Institute for the Study for Social Change.

The report Insight Seven: Workforce Polarisation in Tasmania: Implications for the future of work and training , by Research Fellow Dr Lisa Denny, explains the implications of economic restructuring and diversification in Tasmania’s workforce.

Dr Denny said while Tasmania’s economic performance is relatively strong, employment is growing […]

As I See It: The Useless Class

As I See It: The Useless Class

My father-in-law recently had a cancerous lobe removed from his lung. As surgeries go, it was relatively serious, but also relatively common. In an age of organ transplants, a lobe removal is no longer particularly noteworthy. What is notable, however, is that the procedure was performed by a robot.

Robotics is part of the so-called fourth industrial revolution that includes companionable fields such as AI and biotech. In aggregate, they are poised to radically transform the economy. But although the word “transformation” has become a new-age descriptor for optimistic change, its consequences are purely contextual. For every automated medical procedure, […]

Elon Musk’s “Giant Cybernetic Collectives”

Elon Musk’s “Giant Cybernetic Collectives”

Elon Musk often mentions cyborgs at events and during interviews. This concept is not just a funny remark, a sci-fi reference, or a way to throw around big terms to sound smarter. It’s an important paradigm, a lens we can look at the past with, and more importantly, a concept that will have a great impact on the future of our species.

Before unveiling the Tesla Model Y on Thursday night, Elon Musk walked us through the history of Tesla. In the beginning, there was only the original Roadster, and a relatively small team developed the Model S in a […]

For a Denla School vet, everything’s academic

For a Denla School vet, everything's academic

Former lecturer Temyos Pandejpong is helping his family manage the education empire that began in his own childhood home. Though he enjoyed his time in America, Mr Temyos says he has no regrets about coming back to Thailand to help his family run schools. Not many educators can say they spent their whole life devoted to education. Temyos Pandejpong grew up with education not only at the centre of his life, but as the entirety of his surroundings.

As a child he lived in the school his family ran, the Denla Kindergarten on Phetkasem Road. The youngest of three siblings, […]

Automation, advancement stymie industry’s hiring efforts

Automation, advancement stymie industry's hiring efforts

Hotel operators are finding it a challenge to attract skilled, loyal workers to the industry. Photo credit: Getty Images/artisteer The hospitality industry—the people business—has a people problem. The industry continues to struggle with a growing pool of open positions and high turnover as the U.S. unemployment rate hovers around 4 percent. According to experts, this issue could be solved by educating young workers about the opportunities hospitality offers, but fears of automation have complicated the situation for line-level employees.

“I wish I could say I have seen a lot of bright ideas recently, but no one has showed me they […]

Rise of the Internet Economy in India – Trends Shaping Digital India

Rise of the Internet Economy in India – Trends Shaping Digital India

Digital Transformation is absolutely necessary for businesses that want to remain competitive, but it is also changing the landscape of work as we know it Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You’re reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

The rise of the Internet in the last decade has brought about new business models and market segments that have revolutionized the way in which companies operate today. The nation’s digital economy is poised to undergo explosive growth due to the proliferation of devices, and the Internet economy is predicted to touch the $266 billion mark in 2020, […]

How inequality was digitalised

How inequality was digitalised

Danny Sriskandarajah Thirty years ago this week, the world wide web was born. At some point this year, half the world will be online . That is remarkable progress. But, we cannot simply assume that technology – or access to it – is a force for social good. Of course, it could be used to make life much better for everyone. But, so far, the short-term benefits of the digital revolution have largely consolidated the wellbeing of the few , rather than society as a whole. In the battle against inequality, the allegiance of digital tech is still up […]

Don’t Blame Robots for Low Wages

Don’t Blame Robots for Low Wages

Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg

The other day I found myself, as I often do, at a conference discussing lagging wages and soaring inequality. There was a lot of interesting discussion. But one thing that struck me was how many of the participants just assumed that robots are a big part of the problem — that machines are taking away the good jobs, or even jobs in general. For the most part this wasn’t even presented as a hypothesis, just as part of what everyone knows.

And this assumption has real implications for policy discussion. For example, a lot of the agitation for a […]

Call to train workers for technological advances

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TJIPENANDJAMBI KUHANGA

THE recent Global Commission report on the ‘future of work’ says the skills people have today will not match the jobs of tomorrow as technological advances such as artificial intelligence, automation and robotics are gaining momentum. The report launched in January encouraged nations to train their workers in preparation of technological advances that lie ahead. According to the report, the rate of unemployment around the world remains unacceptably high, with billions of workers in informal employment.This is because 300 million workers live in extreme poverty, while millions of men, women and children are […]