On Wednesday 19 April, Professor John Spoehr – Director of the Australian Industrial Transformation Institute at Flinders University – delivered a Flinders Investigators lecture on Automation nation – a workless future ?
Claims that automation could lead to the loss of around half of all jobs have struck fear into the hearts of many. While recent research suggests that both Australian and South Australian workers are highly vulnerable to automation, are we heading for a workless future? What are the implications of this new industrial revolution for jobs and living standards?