White House to Host Live Stream on Automation's Future
The White House is set to wade into the public debate over automation next week, joining forces with two media outlets to broadcast a live conversation about how robots and artificial intelligence are reshaping American life.
Scheduled for Tuesday, July 5th at 1:15 pm ET, the event will be streamed simultaneously on the Facebook pages of the White House, Futurism, and Business Insider. The discussion is being organized in partnership with those two outlets, according to an announcement from Futurism.
The panel will feature Robin Chase, co-founder and former CEO of Zipcar, and Martin Ford, author of the book Rise of the Robots. White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough is slated to moderate the session.
The timing of the event underscores a growing recognition within the administration that automation is no longer a distant concern. Within a decade, or possibly sooner, robots are expected to take on tasks ranging from driving and cooking to home security and elder care. Some experts even predict they could represent individuals in legal proceedings.
Those developments carry significant implications for the workforce and the broader economy, raising questions about how people will earn a living and how families will be supported. The conversation aims to address those concerns, looking at both domestic and international effects of automation.
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Chase, who built Zipcar into a household name in car-sharing, brings a perspective grounded in the sharing economy and technology startups. Ford, whose book was a finalist for the Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year award, has been a vocal commentator on the potential for robots to displace workers across a range of industries.
The White House has previously signaled interest in the economic effects of automation, with reports from the Council of Economic Advisers examining the relationship between technology and wages. This live stream appears to be an effort to engage the public directly in that discussion.
Viewers will be able to watch the event on the social media platforms of the participating organizations, and the stream will also be embedded on Futurism's website for those who prefer to watch from the article page.
Additional details about the event were provided in an image accompanying the announcement, though specifics such as the venue and full agenda were not disclosed in the initial notice.
The discussion comes at a time when automation is moving from the realm of science fiction into everyday reality. Self-driving vehicles are already being tested on public roads, and automated systems are being deployed in warehouses, factories, and even some courtrooms for document review.
For policymakers, the challenge is to balance the potential benefits of increased productivity with the risk of job displacement. The event is likely to touch on those tensions, offering a rare opportunity for the public to hear directly from both technologists and government officials.
As the date approaches, those interested can mark their calendars for the July 5th broadcast. The conversation is expected to provide a snapshot of how the current administration is thinking about the future of work in an era of rapid technological change.
