Cobots as Workforce Partners: Overcoming Barriers Through Policy Opportunities

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Jacobs, Lindsay; Mutlu, Bilge; Radwin, Robert; Smeeding, Timothy
• 署名单位: University of Wisconsin System; University of Wisconsin Madison; University of Wisconsin System; University of Wisconsin Madison; University of Wisconsin System; University of Wisconsin Madison
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF POLICY ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1520-6688
• DOI: 10.1002/pam.70083
• 发表日期: 2025-12-28
• 页码: e70083
• 关键词: labor policy; trade and automation; TARIFFS; collaborative robots (cobots); worker displacement; labor augmentation; automation

摘要

Substitution of capital in the form of automation and robotics has displaced many American manufacturing workers, especially those without college degrees. However, this need not be the path forward. We argue that now is an opportune time for greater policy emphasis on collaborative robots, or cobots, which are designed to complement rather than replace manual labor while raising productivity. To realize this potential, policies must properly align incentives, support training, and address often overlooked issues such as monitoring and privacy. Through an interdisciplinary lens, we examine the current state of cobot deployment and describe how well-designed job tasks, paired with carefully integrated cobots, can preserve employment opportunities while improving ergonomics and enhancing productivity. Strategic policy measures aimed at redirecting investments can balance manufacturers' needs while ensuring stable employment, higher wages, and safer workplaces. With informed and deliberate policy, the adoption of cobots can mark a new phase of technological progress while averting the costly dislocations that accompanied past automation and offshoring.