The good news is that the use of robots decreases the number of workplace accidents. The bad news is that robots also harm the mental health of their human co-workers, according to a
The study looked at both workplace data on injuries as well as longitudinal data from areas with heavily automated industries. What they found was that, overall, for every one standard deviation increase of robot exposure in a given regional labor market there is a 1.2% decrease in work-related injuries. At the same time, however, in areas where there are many people working alongside robots, there were also significant increases in drug- and alcohol-related deaths, 37.8 more cases per 100,000. Further, they also found a slight increase in suicide and other mental health issues.
The researchers, however, found this negative impact is a largely U.S. phenomena. Looking at similar data from Germany, the study found that, unlike U.S. workers, German workers suffered no adverse mental health effects from robot exposure. The researchers suggested this might have something to do with differing labor law standards between the two nations.
“Robot exposure did not cause disruptive job losses in Germany; Germany has a much higher employment protection legislation,” Osea Giuntella, one of the study's authors, said. “Our evidence finds that, in both contexts, robots have a positive impact on the physical health of workers by reducing injuries and work- related disabilities. However, our findings suggests that, in contexts where workers were less protected, competition with robots was associated with a rise in mental health problems.”
