Opinion: Taxing robots won’t help US workers or create jobs

The basic question is whether automation is good or bad for average workers. — AFP Relaxnews

The debate over automation has been overshadowed by more immediate economic problems created by the coronavirus crisis. But when things return to some semblance of normality, it’s sure to crop up again and may well play a role in how a recovery takes shape.

The basic question is whether automation is good or bad for average workers. The latest salvo against the robots comes from economists Daron Acemoglu, Andrea Manera, and Pascual Restrepo. In a recent National Bureau of Economic Research paper entitled "Does the US Tax Code Favor Automation?”, they argue that taxes are higher on labour than on capital equipment, causing companies to invest too much in machines and not enough in manpower.