News
June 2015
Eurobarometer Survey: 70% of Europeans Think Robots Steal People's Jobs
European Commission regularly conducts surveys among European citizens to get in-depth views on the public opinion. In 2012, a so called Special Eurobarometer was examining the public attitude towards robotics.
In 2014, an update was carried out surveying the attitude towards the future use of robotics, autonomous cars and civil drones. This special report on Autonomous Systems has just been published in June 2015.
Here is a short summary of public attitudes towards robots:
- Almost two-thirds of Europeans interviewed (64%) have a positive view of robots, down from 70% in 2012.
- 85% of respondents agree that robots can do jobs that are too hard or too dangerous for people, and over seven out of ten (72%) agree that robots are a good thing for society because they help people.
- Nine in ten respondents (89%) think that robots are a form of technology that require careful management.
- Seven out of ten (70%) people believe that robots steal people’s jobs!
Attitudes towards the future use of robots:
- Over a third of respondents (36%) think that their current job could be done at least partially by a robot in the future, though just 4% think a robot could ever do their job fully.
- There is a big difference in perception in the different European countries. In countries with a fairly high grade of automation like Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Luxemburg, the fear is much less (between 20 and 27%), whereas in countries like Bulgaria, Poland, Croatia, Hungary and Czech Republic – all countries with a relatively high share of employment in the industrial sector and a low robot density - at least half of respondents think that their job could be done, at least partially, by a robot in the future.
- Nearly half of the respondents (48%) say they would be comfortable having a robot assist them at work, compared with just over a quarter (28%) who would be uncomfortable.
- However, a majority of people would feel uncomfortable with the ideas of having a robot provide services and companionship to elderly or infirm people (51%), and having a medical operation performed on them by a robot (55%).
If you are interested in details of findings in a specific country click here.
To see the complete Eurobarometer report click here.
In our view, some questions were somewhat suggestive in a way that the question itself led the person to respond in a certain direction. Nevertheless, these results show an urgency to react and start actions to improve the public perception through education and information. EUnited Robotics will certainly contribute to this process.
EUnited - European Engineering Industries Association,
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BluePoint Building, Boulevard A. Reyers 80, , 1030 Brussels, Belgium, +32 27 06 84 21
Transparency Register number: 0289344948-82
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