Report finds human workers still cheaper than robots in many low-wage jobs
By
John Koetsier
Summary
A report from construction software company Planera challenges the common assumption that low-paid, low-skill jobs will be the first automated. The analysis finds that replacing human workers with robots is currently far more expensive than employing people — for example, a nursing assistant replacement robot costs $375,100/year vs. the $42,200 human salary, and construction robot replacements cost ~$300,000 vs. ~$50,000 human wages. The article explores the economic realities of automation, suggesting that many jobs may remain safe simply because human labor is cheaper, though it questions whether this cost advantage will last forever as technology advances.
Source
bskyReport finds human workers still cheaper than robots in many low-wage jobsforbes.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledFor years, the assumption was that low-paid, low-skill jobs would be the first to go.
Replacing a single nursing assistant with a humanoid robot runs about $375,100 a year, nearly nine times the $42,200 these workers actually earn.
Robots that could replace construction laborers, who make just under $50,000 per year, would cost almost $300,000.
You might also wanna read
AI tools proving more expensive than the human workers they replace, Uber case shows
The article examines a paradoxical trend in the tech industry: companies are laying off human workers to fund AI tools that actually cost mo
forbes.com·4d ago
Nvidia exec says AI is currently more expensive than human workers, despite Big Tech layoffs and massive AI investments
A Nvidia executive argues that currently, deploying AI at scale is more expensive than paying human workers to perform the same tasks, contr
Fortune·2mo ago
Amazon plans to replace workers with robots
MIT Study: AI Could Replace 11.7% of U.S. Workforce, Affecting $1.2 Trillion in Wages
MIT researchers have developed a labor simulation tool called the Iceberg Index that analyzes how AI affects the U.S. workforce. Their study
cnbc.com·7mo ago
AI compute costs now exceeding human labor expenses for some companies
Companies are increasingly spending more on AI computing costs than on human salaries, challenging the assumption that AI is always cheaper
axios.com·2mo ago
Anthropic spends 2.3x payroll on compute — three scenarios for how AI economics could shift by 2029
Anthropic spends 2.3x its payroll on compute costs — approximately $515k per engineer per year — compared to top software companies which sp
tomtunguz.com·2d agoAnthropic spends 2.3x payroll on compute — three scenarios for how AI economics could shift by 2029
Anthropic spends 2.3x its payroll on compute costs — approximately $515k per engineer per year — compared to top software companies which sp
tomtunguz.com·2d ago
Comments
Sign in to join the conversation.
No comments yet. Be the first.