Robots and AI are going to make social inequality even worse, says new report

Most economists agree that advances in robotics and AI over the next few decades are likely to lead to significant job losses. But what's less often considered is how these changes could also impact social mobility. A new report from UK charity Sutton Trust explains the danger, noting that unless governments take action, the next wave of automation will dramatically increase inequality within societies, further entrenching the divide between rich and poor. The are a number of reasons for this, say the report's authors, including the ability of richer individuals to re-train for new jobs; the rising importance of "soft skills" like communication and confidence; and the reduction in the number of jobs used as "stepping stones" into professional industries. For example, the demand for paralegals and similar professions is likely to be reduced over the coming years as artificial intelligence is trained to handle more administrative tasks.