Robots that replace people on factory floors are increasing the US's annual mortality rate, according to a new study.
Published on February 23, the research comes from researchers at Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania.
The study found evidence of a causal link between rising mortality rates in the US and the increase of automation in manufacturing.
The study explains how over the past few decades, manufacturers have started automating (replacing humans with robots) to remain competitive in the global marketplace.
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However, the increased use of robots to replace people in manufacturing environments has 'reduced the number of quality jobs available to adults without a college degree'.
Rourke O'Brien, lead author of the study, says that it is this group of adults that has 'faced increased mortality in recent years'.
According to O'Brien, the study found that automation takes a toll on the health of these individuals directly — 'by reducing employment, wages, and access to healthcare' — and indirectly 'by reducing the economic vitality of the broader community'.
To better understand how robots were impacting mortality, the researchers decided to trace the use of automation across US industries from 1993 to 2007.
They then used these statistics and combined them with US 'death-certificate data' over the same period, in order to estimate the casual effect of automation of mortality in working age adults.
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The researchers found that each new robot per 1,000 workers led to around eight deaths per 100,000 men aged 45 to 54, and nearly four deaths per 100,000 women in the same age group.
The team's analysis also found that automation caused a 'substantial increase' in suicides among middle-aged men.
They also found that the increased use of robots lead to an increase of 'drug overdose deaths' among men of all ages as well as women aged 20 to 29.
Ultimately, it was found that the increase use of automation could be linked to 12% of the increase in drug overdose mortality rates.
The researchers also noted that there was evidence that associated lost jobs and wages from automation to increased rates of 'homicide, cancer, and cardiovascular disease within specific age-sex groups'.
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From these findings, the researchers started to examine policies that could help mitigate the impact of using robots to replace humans.
These measures included social safety net programmes like Medicaid, unemployment benefits, and higher minimum wages.
Researchers concluded, 'Our findings underscore the importance of public policy in supporting the individuals and communities who have lost their jobs or seen their wages cut due to automation'.
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