The following is a statement by the World Federation of Robotics IFR:

FRANKFURT, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The following is a statement by the World Federation of Robotics IFR:

"Bill Gates' latest idea to tax robots aims to solve a problem that does not exist: empirical analysis of economic data and forecasts shows that automation and the use of robots create new jobs by increasing productivity. This is in line with the historical experience of technological revolutions, last seen when computers and software automated the business world. To tax production tools instead of their profits would have a negative impact on competitiveness and employment. This is presumably why the European Parliament rejected the idea to impose a robot tax and the International Federation of Robotics strongly agrees with that decision.

According to the McKinsey Global Institute, more than 90 percent of jobs will not be fully automatable in the future. Instead, robots and humans will work together. The positive impact that the increased productivity of robots has on employment can already be seen in the most advanced industrial nations. The US automotive industry, for instance, installed more than 60,000 industrial robots between 2010 and 2015. During this same period, the number of employees in the US automotive sector increased by 230,000. The same trends can be seen in the most advanced economies in Europe and Asia. Moreover, recent research by the OECD on the future of productivity shows: companies that employ technological innovation effectively are up to 10 times more productive than those that do not.

Profits, not the means of making them, should be taxed

A robot tax would make these much-needed investments in technology more expensive for companies. "Profits, not the means of making them, should be taxed," says Joe Gemma, President of the International Federation of Robotics. Research shows that automation actually results in a positive tax balance for social systems. Repetitive or dangerous tasks are replaced by industrial robots, leading to the creation of new, safer, higher-skilled and higher-income jobs that increase pension contributions.

The IFR strongly supports the idea of greater cooperation in robotics between the public and private sectors. "The IFR is convinced that regulations on robotics must be developed in close collaboration amongst representatives of the public sector, robotics manufacturers, robot users and developers, as well as researchers," says Joe Gemma."