Japan is among the biggest users of robots in the world, with 303 per 10,000 employees in 2016 — the fourth-highest globally — according to the International Federation of Robotics. But despite such adoption — or perhaps because of it — belief in the displacement of human workers due to technology and fears of the effects thereof are widespread in the country, according to a survey published Thursday.
The country is among 10, including the United States, Italy, South Africa and Canada, in which large majorities believe that robots and computers will take over many jobs currently done by humans, the Pew Research Center revealed. Eighty-nine percent — the second-highest among the nations surveyed — said this will "probably" or "definitely" happen.
But a positive vision of the impact of this technology, with workers freed from menial tasks and new job opportunities arising, has not taken hold here. Those believing people would have difficulty finding new jobs and that economic inequality would worsen from current levels stood at 74 percent and 83 percent, respectively, while only 35 percent thought there would be better, higher-paying jobs available as a result of robots and computers taking over most work currently done by humans.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.