Forbes December 9, 2019
Listening to the breathless commentary surrounding technologies such as AI and robotics and one could be minded to believe that technology is transforming life as we know it on a scale never seen before. No doubt many would argue that is indeed the case, and will point to the way technologies from the smartphone to CRISPR are opening up new ways of living and working.
The problem is, these technologies don’t appear to be making a difference to productivity figures, or subsequently the wages and wellbeing of people. It’s a refrain with a strong heritage, with Robert Solow famously remarking that “you can see the computer age everywhere but in the productivity statistics” back in 1987.
Technology advocates argue that...