Will robots take our jobs?: The effects of artificial intelligence on high-skilled Canadians

With the forthcoming Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution estimated to cause millions in job losses throughout all sectors of the economy it is important to consider the broader societal impact that worker displacement and worker transition will have. Several studies have investigated the projected experience of low-skilled workers and the impact automation is predicted to have on their employment prospects, however, very few have focused on the effects on high-skilled workers. This paper attempts to fill this gap by evaluating policies for mitigating the expected negative impact of automation and AI-based technologies on Canada’s high-skilled workforce. Three policy options are presented which focus on retraining, portable benefits schemes, and maintaining the status quo. As AI is an ever-changing field of technology with capabilities not yet fully achieved this paper and the policy options presented within attempt to create proactive policies that will effectively address the negative labour market outcomes regardless of technological advances.