logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2023
36m 14s

Money Talks: The rise of the robots

The Economist
About this episode

Robots are getting better and cheaper—and that means they will play a much larger role in our lives. They are already reaching beyond the car plants and warehouses, where they have become commonplace, to turn their mechanised hands to making cocktails and cooking chicken. But what will that mean for the economy?

On this week’s podcast, hosts Tom Lee-Devlin, Alice Fulwood and Mike Bird examine whether the rise of the machines is good for workers and hear from Korea, where there are more robots per factory worker than any other country on earth. Kim Povlsen, the boss of robot-maker Universal Robots, says greater automation is needed as populations age and labour shortages become increasingly severe. And Susanne Bieller from the International Federation of Robotics, a global industry group, gives a glimpse of what the future might have in store.

Sign up for our new weekly newsletter dissecting the big themes in markets, business and the economy at www.economist.com/moneytalks 

For full access to print, digital and audio editions, subscribe to The Economist at www.economist.com/podcastoffer



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Today
Sprawl of duty: Trump’s tariff drama
Once again President Donald Trump extended the deadline for spine-stiffening tariffs to go into effect on trading partners. We look at the effects of all the uncertainty. Brazil once dominated the world of football; we ask where it went wrong and assess the route to a comeback. A ... Show More
21m 53s
Yesterday
The French reconnection: Macron in Britain
Anglo-French relations have not been so good since before the Brexit vote. Beneath the state-visit pageantry, though, there is much co-operation for President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss. Gangs have infiltrated many of Latin America’s mining operati ... Show More
21m 10s
Jul 7
Trump card: can he broker a Gaza deal?
While Israel and Hamas officials discuss a ceasefire via mediators in Qatar, a key meeting will take place at the White House today, when Israel’s prime minister talks to the US president. Why the Chinese Communist Party is removing alcohol from official events. And remembering J ... Show More
21m 7s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2023
Money Talks: The rise of the robots
Robots are getting better and cheaper—and that means they will play a much larger role in our lives. They are already reaching beyond the car plants and warehouses, where they have become commonplace, to turn their mechanised hands to making cocktails and cooking chicken. But wha ... Show More
36m 14s
Feb 2022
Babbage: Rise of the robots
Relations between people and robots are being reset. Host Alok Jha explores why the pace of automation is likely to accelerate, and what it means for societies and jobs. We also ask how advancements in AI and robotics can improve collaboration between humans and machines. For ful ... Show More
36m 54s
Apr 2021
Money Talks: The future of work
The pandemic has fuelled an explosion of unemployment and a transformation in how many people work, especially in richer countries. We consider the many reasons for optimism about the labour market and the prospects for working from home. And, we talk to David Autor, a labour eco ... Show More
21m 45s
Jan 2022
Will staff shortages bring about the rise of the robots?
Staff shortages are one of the most consequential by-products of the latest coronavirus variant, Omicron. Health care, aviation, education and dining are among the industries scrambling for employees to provide essential services. As the pandemic enters its third year, robots and ... Show More
22 m
Jun 2019
Dull, Dirty, Dangerous
Robots are coming for our jobs, and not just in factories. Artificial intelligence doesn't distinguish between blue collar and white collar work, which means that the economy of the future will look very different. And as it changes, we'll need to make big adjustments. But A.I. i ... Show More
30m 17s
Oct 2023
"Die Anlage lohnt sich von Tag eins": Coboworx baut Roboter für den Mittelstand
Ob für die Produktion von Autos, Maschinen oder in der Lebensmittelindustrie: Roboter sind aus Fabriken nicht mehr wegzudenken. Seit 2013 ist China der weltweit größte Markt für Industrieroboter. In der Volksrepublik wurden 2022 nach Angaben der International Federation of Roboti ... Show More
30m 35s
Sep 2021
Ruth Aylett and Patricia A. Vargas, "Living with Robots: What Every Anxious Human Needs to Know" (MIT Press, 2021)
There's a lot of hype about robots; some of it is scary and some of it utopian. In this accessible book, two robotics experts reveal the truth about what robots can and can't do, how they work, and what we can reasonably expect their future capabilities to be. It will not only ma ... Show More
1h 5m
Feb 2022
Rent-a-Robot
The use of robots in North American workplaces has increased by 40% since the start of the pandemic and the small to medium sized businesses, which never automated before, are getting in on the act. The robotics industry has responded to the global increased demand by creating mo ... Show More
18m 39s
Mar 2017
Robot
Robots threaten the human workforce, but their ubiquity and growing competence make them crucial to the modern economy. In 1961 General Motors installed the first Unimate at one of its plants. It was a one-armed robot resembling a small tank that was used for tasks like welding. ... Show More
9m 12s