As the trend is toward ever-increasing automation, everyone is fearing for their job. I can\u2019t count how many articles I\u2019ve crossed this month alone about this issue.<\/p>\n
Machines are arriving in force in the workplace and there is a possibility that robots<\/strong> may end up competing with humans over jobs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As a matter of fact, sources think it could only be a matter of time<\/a> before robots take over most jobs currently done by humans.<\/p>\n Most of us are scared already, but some of us are beginning to think about a solution: adding a tax on robots<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Bill Gates,<\/strong> a techno-optimist and one of the leading players in artificial intelligence, as well as being Microsoft\u2019s co-founder, believes that governments should tax companies\u2019 use of robots.<\/p>\n Even if the announcement is striking and seemingly antagonist to Bill\u2019s beliefs, it seems to be a carefully elaborated position.<\/p>\n Gates knows that taxation can slow the automation adoption and thus he anticipates a sudden glut of unemployed workers.<\/p>\n How will governments react once half of the workforce is unemployed and tax revenues then fall down? Fewer people working means fewer employed citizens paying taxes!<\/p>\n Besides, Gates thinks that by applying this \u2018robot tax\u2019, the funds could help finance positions where only the humans can interact effectively, such as child care.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now, the human worker who does, say, $50,000 worth of work in a factory, that income is taxed and you pay income tax, Social Security tax, all those things. If a robot then comes in to do the same thing, you\u2019d think that we should tax the robot at a similar level\u201d, Gates explained in an interview with Quartz<\/a>.<\/p>\n But commenters all over the Internet are not seeing it this way. They pointed out that technology and automation have been around for many years, so why decide all of a sudden to add taxes now! They even \u00a0said that Microsoft itself is partly responsible for this.<\/p>\n Maybe Gates should have thought of adding taxes to washing machines, computers or even to Excel \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n What if Gates\u2019 proposal is accepted? Will we be seeing robots in a near future trying to evade their taxes and heading to a tax haven? And what if a robot can\u2019t afford to pay its taxes due to its maintenance costs?<\/p>\n The pursuit of robot tax <\/strong>evaders will soon be launched I guess \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n So robots, you better start figuring out your next heavenly destination. It\u2019s about time! Follow eXo Platform’s board Cartoon of the Week on Pinterest.<\/a>
\nStay tuned for more fun cartoons!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n