The automation and implementation of artificial intelligence systems are impacting cities and towns in different ways, according to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab. In large cities, people are more often engaged in mental work and analytics, and the likelihood of being replaced by cars is much less than in small cities. This can negatively affect the development of small towns, according to an article available on ArXiv.org.
Cities are economic and technological centers, and today they are home to more than half of the world's population. Migration is considered one of the determining factors of urbanization, which is largely due to the availability of jobs. In this regard, the researchers analyze how the introduction of new technologies and industrial automation affects employment in cities. Such forecasts help the authorities adjust public policy and urban development plans.
The authors of the new work have identified which professions are most common in cities and towns in the United States. They looked at statistics for 2014 compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data showed that in large cities (population over 100,000) a disproportionately large proportion of the population is engaged in mental labor. These are financial analysts, computer software developers, lawyers, advertising managers. In small towns, on the contrary, more people are engaged in routine activities - for example, they work as cashiers or service personnel in public catering. It is they who, according to scientists, are more susceptible to "technological substitution".
Sociology 15:32 23 Oct. 2017 Difficulty 1.5
Artificial intelligence called dangerous for the economy of small cities
The automation and implementation of artificial intelligence systems are impacting cities and towns in different ways, according to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab. In large cities, people are more often engaged in mental work and analytics, and the likelihood of being replaced by cars is much less than in small cities. This can negatively affect the development of small towns, according to an article available on ArXiv.org.
Cities are economic and technological centers, and today they are home to more than half of the world's population. Migration is considered one of the determining factors of urbanization, which is largely due to the availability of jobs. In this regard, the researchers analyze how the introduction of new technologies and industrial automation affects employment in cities. Such forecasts help the authorities adjust public policy and urban development plans.
The authors of the new work have identified which professions are most common in cities and towns in the United States. They looked at statistics for 2014 compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The data showed that in large cities (population over 100,000) a disproportionately large proportion of the population is engaged in mental labor. These are financial analysts, computer software developers, lawyers, advertising managers. In small towns, on the contrary, more people are engaged in routine activities - for example, they work as cashiers or service personnel in public catering. It is they who, according to scientists, are more susceptible to "technological substitution".
Promotional video:
On the map below, you can assess the predictions of the impact of automation on some US cities:
As a result, the authors note, cities and towns will experience the impact of process automation and the introduction of "smart" systems in different ways. Least of all will change progressive settlements such as San Jose, the conditional capital of Silicon Valley, or Washington. Cities that survive on agriculture and tourism are in the risk zone - according to scientists, their development will continue to slow down. Over time, they may face the fate of Detroit, which has suffered significant economic and demographic decline due to de-industrialization. The city's population declined from 1.85 million in 1950 to 680,000 in 2014.
It was previously reported that about five million people will lose their current job by 2020 due to automation. The largest cuts are expected among office and administrative workers.
Christina Ulasovich