Notion that Robots Will Compensate for Russia’s Demographic Problems ‘Utopian,’ Experts Say

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Dec. 13 – No one questions the notion that robots will replace many workers in countries around the world in the future, but suggestions that Russia can prevent its current demographic difficulties from harming the economy is “utopian” and distracts attention from other efforts to improve productivity, according to Russian experts.

            The reasons are simple, according to the specialists that Nakanune journalist Elena Rychkova surveyed. First, robotization in Russia lags far behind that in other countries. South Korea has gone the furthest in this direction with one robot for every ten workers. Russia in contrast has only six for every 10,000 (nakanune.ru/articles/121627/).

            Second, the Russian government has talked a lot about robotization but it hasn’t invested either in the technology or the science behind it sufficiently to ensure that this trend will take off in the country anytime soon. And third, Western sanctions are limiting the ability of robot manufacturers in Russia to get the components they need but that Russia doesn’t produce.

            Instead of pursuing this “utopian” dream, these experts say, Moscow should improve education and training for workers and improve their productivity in that way.