Robots, jobs and the human fear of change

Steve Cousins is founder and CEO of Savioke, which develops and deploys autonomous robots that work in human environments to improve people's lives. Steve was previously president and CEO of robotics incubator Willow Garage. When it comes to technology's impact on the economy, there continues to be concern that robots and other advances will lead to unemployment. But what does history really tell us about the impact of new technologies on jobs and the economy? And more importantly, what happens to America's ability to compete in a global economy if we reject automation and stifle technological innovation? As a computer scientist, researcher and now CEO of a fast-growing robotics company, I've spent my career building technologies to improve people's lives and help companies grow.