The case for a robot tax: professor argues redistribution beats retraining in the AI era
Dr_Alex_Crimi · x · 2026-09-19
- Alessandro Crimi, professor at AGH University, argues in a Rest of World book excerpt that taxing automation (a "robot tax") is more effective than retraining programs for redistributing AI-generated wealth.
- He concedes AI could revolutionize economies but also widen inequality and worsen environmental harm; retraining alone can't address systemic displacement.
- Historical analogy: medieval guilds, churches, and monasteries retrained workers, and windmills created demand for millwrights — yet innovation still failed to lift living standards for most.
- His conclusion: pair automation taxes with safety nets and reallocation policies so AI gains align with shared wealth and ecological balance.
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