FRQ1 Practice: Automation

The process of automation, with robots or computer programs doing the work once completed by humans, has been happening for decades, from factories where robotic arms work in assembly lines to office software that completes routine clerical work. The speed of computing alone is making these processes more effective. The computing power in a smartphone … has empowered automated retail to rapidly outpace traditional retailers and wholesalers, leading to rapid transformations in the economy. 

If net employment loss ends up being the result, there will need to be policies to both permanently boost the incomes of Americans and provide retraining. If there is less net employment loss but significant changes in … occupational [skills], retraining and temporary adjustment policies will be more effective.