Comment by Richard B. Freeman

Without ownership stakes, workers will become serfs working on behalf of the robots’ overlords who own the companies and corporate capital. […] If human workers own a stake in the capital gained from the technologies that are changing the world of work, they will be provided with a steady stream of income and more inclined to accept increasing robotization of the workplace. Each country will have to choose the way that best fits to spread worker ownership and capital so as to give a stream of earnings that are changing the world of work. With appropriate policies, the higher productivity due to robots can improve worker well-being, by raising incomes and creating more leisure time. To benefit from this, workers need to own the capital of companies rather than rely on government redistribution policies.