The Automation Divide

As automation is taking over tasks that used to be performed by humans across nearly all sectors, Ipsos and the Center for Business Analytics at the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce found that Americans are divided in their perceptions and expectations about automation.

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The author(s)

  • Clifford Young President, US, Public Affairs
  • Nicolas Boyon Senior Vice President, US, Public Affairs
  • Katie Ziemer, PhD Associate Research Scientist, US, Public Affairs
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On one side are those who are well-prepared and optimistic about a future with increased automation. They feel comfortable with a wide range of automated technology and use it often. In the workplace, those who have already experi­enced a great deal of disruption from automation have found that it makes their job easier.

On the other side of the divide are those who fear automation and resist the changes it brings. The technology feels unfamiliar and dangerous to them. In industries such as manufacturing, employees are unprepared for the disruption that automa­tion is expected to cause.

In this paper, Ipsos and UVA’s McIntire Center for Business Analytics offer recommenda­tions to bridge the divide in consumer and workplace settings.

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The author(s)

  • Clifford Young President, US, Public Affairs
  • Nicolas Boyon Senior Vice President, US, Public Affairs
  • Katie Ziemer, PhD Associate Research Scientist, US, Public Affairs

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