Canada Considers Taxing the Robots that Replace Humans

The Canadian government is considering a new taxation on the use of robots when they directly replace humans, along with an idea that requires a portion of automated work to be directed toward a social good.

While details of exactly how the government would actually tax the technology are scarce, documents obtained by The Canadian Press under the access to information law suggest taxing any company that implements automation.

According to an RBC report earlier this year, automation will impact almost half of the jobs in country, which is likely the reason the government is gearing up to review social safety nets and labor regulations around the technology.

Other ideas outlined in the documents include allowing workers to repeatedly drop out of the workforce to upgrade their skills and adapt to changing employment needs, particularly those workers who perform repetitive tasks that could be handled by a robot.

Citing a recent G7 labor ministers meeting, The Canadian Press says up to 15% of jobs could be lost to automation over the next two decades. The roles most vulnerable are farm and construction workers, accountants, lab technicians, and salespeople.

Considering a study by The Economist earlier this year, a combination of robotics, artificial intelligence, and automation could make about 1.6% of Canadian jobs obsolete over the next few decades.