AI & Robotics ......... So, I was thinking ........

[MailGuru]

With all the talk of AI & Robotics replacing workers, How will that effect the financial infrastructures of Governments.

Here, in the USA, our government runs on taxes withheld from the paychecks of workers (income taxes).

Ostensibly, the fewer workers we have, the less money our government is able to collect and has to work with (theoretically).

Will the government start charging corporations some sort of fee ("AI Tax", "Robot Tax") to compensate for the loss of revenue?

 

[AP90]

Regardless of how much money the government will bring in with taxes they'll just borrow however much they want/need in order to keep things going. Until things stop going....

But to answer your question I doubt the companies who implement these systems will get hit with taxes. It'll end up being everyday Americans and workers who are footing the tax bill via some obscure "fee" for use of something. Like government will mandate that financial institutions implement a fee for their customers who "elect" to have AI manage their portfolio or have AI automatically pay their bills monthly. Different scenarios like that.

 

[jwheeler]

The gov't does always seem to come up with a way to tax EVERYTHING these days, and they may very well come up with a 'robotic worker' tax in the near future. But they're not necessarily losing payroll taxes since the employees who did those jobs that were replaced by AI will still pay taxes on whatever their next job is. As for the companies being taxed for AI/robotic workers, it's still far less cost to them since they don't have to pay those AI/robot 'workers', and they can work around the clock unlike those weak 9-to-5 humans.

 

[MailGuru]

But they're not necessarily losing payroll taxes since the employees who did those jobs that were replaced by AI will still pay taxes on whatever their next job is.

Gotta love your optimism.

Here's one of the things that made me start thinking about governments losing revenue due to technological advances:

Here in Florida (as, I would imagine most states) there is a tax added to every gallon of gas you pump into your car. This "fuel tax" funds the maintenance of our roads and highways. However, EV's don't use gas, but, they still contribute to the wear and tear on our roads. The more Electronic Vehicles that are on the roads, the less money the states and counties have to build and repair them.

Do EV's get a "Free Pass"? I've never bought one or priced one, but, can somebody tell me if there is some sort of "surcharge" collected at the time of purchase to compensate for the loss of revenue?

 

[jwheeler]

Do EV's get a "Free Pass"?

Here in California, they passed Assembly Bill 1421 to do a study on a 'road usage charge' that may eventually replace the gas tax to compensate for all of the EV's. I should say, hopefully it will only replace it and not add to it. But with the way CA has been so anti-gas-vehicles, I'd imagine they'll charge both to push people towards EV's.