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The future of work might not be so bleak

What's the future of work? Will gigs replace salaried employment, and will robots eventually leave humans with nothing to do? I see reason for skepticism, but also for concern.

By Jean Tirole | Updated on October 31, 2017
Not a day passes without the media fretting about the mass unemployment that will ensue as robots take over for humans. Will it happen? (Photo: Shutterstock)

What’s the future of work? Will gigs replace salaried employment, and will robots eventually leave humans with nothing to do? I see reason for skepticism, but also for concern.

Technology, of course, is already making independent work a lot easier. It puts workers into contact with customers and helps them run a back office. More importantly, it allows individuals to build and promote their reputations at low cost. Customers used to rely on a taxi company’s reputation, or choose a washing machine by the manufacturer’s brand. Now, each worker has a brand: On Uber, customers can reject drivers based on their personal ratings. A firm’s collective reputation, with the concomitant control of its employees’ behavior, is becoming gradually less important.

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