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Parliamentary question - E-005286/2016Parliamentary question
E-005286/2016

Impact of the development of new robotic technologies on the EU labour market

Question for written answer E-005286-16
to the Commission
Rule 130
Ildikó Gáll-Pelcz (PPE)

The use of artificial intelligence and robots will destroy 5.1 million jobs in the 15 leading countries in the world in the four years between now and 2020, according to the latest report by the World Economic Forum (WEF). One of the biggest driving forces is the rapidly rising cost of labour, particularly in those countries which a few decades ago were taking over manufacturing precisely because of their low wages. Developments are also assisting the spread of robots: the new robotic technologies are becoming cheaper and cheaper, which means that smaller and smaller plants are able to replace human labour at the cost of less and less investment. It is a big question whether, because machines are supplanting human labour, people will ultimately see their chances of employment destroyed — rather as horses found themselves without a role when steam engines came upon the scene — or whether the growing prosperity will create new jobs for people.

Has the Commission made any calculations comparable to those of the WEF concerning the EU28 Member States?

What measures will the Commission take to ensure that the development of robotics does not cause a crisis on the labour market in the European Union?