Robots Taking Jobs? Bill Gates Says Machines Should Get Taxed Just Like Human Labor

Bill Gates thinks robots should get taxed just like humans, he said in a recent interview with Quartz. "Right now if a human worker does you know, $50,000 worth of work in a factory, that income is taxed," the billionaire said. "If a robot comes in to do the same thing, you'd think we would tax the robot at a similar level." Gates said robots can be good thing by doing certain types of labor done by humans so that people can focus in other fields where there is a shortage of workers. "If you can take the labor that used to do the thing automation replaces, and financially and training-wise and fulfillment-wise have that person go off and do these other things, then you're net ahead," Gates explained, "But you can't just give up that income tax, because that's part of how you've been funding that level of human workers."