Tag: Technology

A new urban economic agenda: how to localise, socialise, and democratise the economy

A new urban economic agenda: how to localise, socialise, and democratise the economy

There are sensible ways through which we can reorganise the UK economy, argues Neil McInroy . He explains how a new urban economic agenda can be implemented and how it can help build a more socially just future.

All things must pass and the dominant urban economic model of the last few years is starting to creak, and a new progressive agenda is threatening to replace it. At its core is a rejection of liberal economics, a questioning of urban economic policy, and a desire to reorganise our city economies: social justice and environmental sustainability are not just hopes […]

Revolutionise training to cope with work revolution

Revolutionise training to cope with work revolution

START coding next year – that is the ambitious plan the Employees Provident Fund has in reskilling its staff members to prepare them for the rapidly changing work environment.

“Rather than wait for current changes to overtake us, we are retraining them to brace for the impact of technological disruptions on the world of work,” said EPF deputy chief executive officer of strategy division, Tunku Alizakri Alias.

And this will not be EPF’s first proactive measure in navigating the disruptive forces: in 2014, it launched its Retirement Advisory Services (RAS) to help members manage their retirement savings.While this initiative was a […]

Governing magazine asks if automation anxiety is overhyped. It depends. Educated workers will fare better.

We’ve written about growing concerns that technology – robots – will transform the workplace. A story in today’s Seattle Times looks at Amazon’s use of robots .

Governing magazine examines the issue, reporting that t he trend and the job risk is rea l, but will play out differently across regions and industries. To estimate the potential effects of automation in those areas, Governing utilized definitions in a University of Oxford study assessing the automatability of individual occupations, then compared them with the Department of Labor’s most recent occupational employment estimates for the 100 largest U.S. metro areas. About 65 […]

Don’t Worry – Overall Employment Levels May Not Be Affected By Self Driving Vehicles.

Don't Worry - Overall Employment Levels May Not Be Affected By Self Driving Vehicles.

Shutterstock photo It is interesting to ponder the economic affects of autonomous (self driving) vehicles. A recent study claims by 2030 " the average American family will save more than $5,600 per year in transportation costs, equivalent to a wage raise of 10% ."

The study is fairly exhaustive listing many economic impacts – with well over half the impacts relating to job losses and oil sector demand reduction. Even many of the positive affects are double edged – such a productivity improvements which are good for business but not good for employment (all things being equal). One can argue […]

Jobs Of The Future – Can Our Schools Help To Prepare Our Kids?

Jobs Of The Future - Can Our Schools Help To Prepare Our Kids?

It can seem a bit trite to say that we live in changing times; after all, times are always changing, but it could be argued that with advancing technology our changes are happening faster than most. As computer automation and robotics play a greater role in day to day working practices, it raises the question of what this will mean for the future face of employment. How many jobs will not exist by the time the current generation of children leave school? How do we prepare our children for the jobs market of the future? What part should education […]

Is Skynet really coming for our jobs?

Cross-posted from Independent Australia :

It’s almost scary to think that the world as we know it may well be run by Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) one day.

While the risk of an imminent AI disruption of the labour market may sound like a fantasy, those with the most advanced AI technologies at hand think that AI is an imminent threat. They say an Industry 4.0 or cyber physical systems ( CPS ) revolution is coming whether we like it or not. Is this really true?AI in the labour market means the use of intelligent software to […]

The Four Challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution

The Four Challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution

The evolution of global industries to Industry 4.0 (Rev 4.0) is both exciting and scary. Industry 4.0 is the designated code name for a combination of traditional manufacturing practices and industrial processes with technological capabilities, from automation to AI. From factories becoming self-monitoring to delivery vehicles becoming self-driving. Whilst there are many benefits of Industry 4.0, there are several key challenges that lie ahead. Cybersecurity

Having everything attached to everything else in the Internet of things (IoT) is going to monumentally increase the vulnerabilities present in any given network. With more nodes, connections and burden of connectivity, systems are […]

Another tech titan joins Mark Zuckerberg in supporting free cash handouts for Americans

One by one, some of the biggest names in tech are publicly supporting the idea of giving cash handouts to all Americans.

The latest is self-made multimillionaire Stewart Butterfield , the CEO and co-founder of the workplace chat program Slack, which is reportedly in the process of raising $500 million at a $5 billion valuation. Butterfield also co-founded Flickr, which sold to Yahoo, reportedly for $35 million .

He joins Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk , Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Y-Combinator president Sam Altman, who all say society will both need and benefit from universal basic income (UBI), a […]

How to make world class in India

How to make world class in India

The manufacturing sector in India is expected to contribute 25% of GDP by 2020 and reach trillion by 2025. Human mind has always been stimulated by automation and artificial intelligence (AI). In today’s age, what is needed is not the denial of their existence and relevance, but the need to acknowledge the harmony. The manufacturing sector in India is expected to contribute 25% of GDP by 2020 and reach $1 trillion by 2025. It will demand higher productivity, better efficiency, reliability, perfection, uniformity, flexibility, customised solutions and, above all, matching global standards—directly associated with choosing the right technology, i.e. […]

Should potential job losses from automation and artificial intelligence worry you?

Should potential job losses from automation and artificial intelligence worry you?

As technology advances, the mixed feelings are getting real. The excitement of progress and man’s self-satisfaction is coming at the expense of things like “ethics” and jobs. I’ve been following some conversation on this matter, but because ethics have become extremely subjective, let me talk about jobs briefly instead. We’ll talk about issues revolving around ethics some other time when I’ve had breakfast and have the energy.

You know for sure that something is making noise when films, particularly soapies, start incorporating it into their scripts. If you watch Isidingo on SABC 3 religiously… or not, you’ll know about the […]