, Columnist
The Robot Future Won't Need a Lot More Electricity
In automated factories, less power is needed for lights and air conditioning.
Able to work in the dark.
Photographer: Eric Piermont/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
As robots come to dominate manufacturing, and automation eats its way into more business processes, societies are beginning to address the future of work for humans. Another issue -- for the power industry in particular -- is whether programmable machines might also significantly increase electricity use.
In the wealthy countries of Asia, robots have already arrived. South Korea, Singapore and Japan are the three most automated manufacturing economies, according to the International Federation of Robotics. In Korea, 1 manufacturing worker in 21 is a robot. The U.S., Taiwan and five wealthy European countries fill out the top 10: