Taxing the robots

Taxing the robots

As advancing technologies like robots threaten displacing jobs for people, the suggestion by Microsoft founder Bill Gates to tax the robots is justifiably triggering a greater debate. Bill Gates’ argument is that the money so generated can finance the Universal Basic Income (UBI) to compensate for the social costs of automation.

Despite its practicalities, the proposal certainly focuses on the social costs of automation. History is replete with examples of such concerns often raised at every stage of technological advancement. Similar apprehensions were aired at the dawn of computers. There were even trade union protests opposing the computerisation.

But, the experience […]

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