A taxonomic structural change perspective on the economic impact of robots and artificial intelligence on creative work

Abstract

This chapter takes a structural change perspective on the impact of robot and artificial intelligence technologies (R & AI) on creative work. We discern different types of sectors based on whether R & AI are applied, made or supported, and study how employment, tasks performed and income change in each. We contend that tasks requiring creative skills (together with tasks requiring social skills and super-dexterity) become more prominent in work. This chapter provides several scenarios on the future of employment and elaborates on the role of institutions (e.g., labour unions, social security, education) and structural shifts in countries’ competitiveness. Moreover, we elucidate how the development of employment is affected by the scale and scope of applicability of R & AI, the educationability of people, and the innovativeness of economies, and thereby, the creation of employment opportunities. This chapter ends with a critical note on the polarisation of, and inequality in, labour markets within and across countries.