Tax Not the Robots: Brookings Fellow Argues Against Bill Gates' Robot Tax
robseamans · x · 2026-08-27
Robert Seamans, nonresident senior fellow at Brookings, pushes back against the "robot tax" floated by Bill Gates and others, calling it a well-intentioned but misguided idea that would harm firms, workers, and the economy.
Key arguments: research shows firms adopting robots actually see faster employment growth and higher productivity; the premise that robots take jobs is not well founded; and legally defining a "robot" is nearly impossible, making the tax unworkable. Its theoretical goals — discouraging replacement and replacing lost payroll tax revenue — would both backfire.
Related event: Brookings Scholar Rebuts Gates' Robot Tax Proposal(2 posts)→
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