The rapid development of artificial intelligence has prompted widespread debate about the extent (0) TO which machines can replace human workers. In many industries, tasks that were once carried 1 exclusively by people are now performed by automated systems capable of working around the clock without interruption. Proponents of automation argue that it leads to greater efficiency and that businesses which fail to adopt new technology risk being left 2 Critics, on the other hand, warn that the long-term social consequences of widespread automation are by 3 means fully understood. The fear of 4 replaced by a machine is particularly acute among workers in manufacturing and logistics, many of 5 have already seen their roles significantly altered. Some economists believe that the situation could 6 turn out to be less dramatic than predicted, as new types of employment are likely to emerge in fields that do not yet exist. History lends some support to this view: previous waves of technological change, far 7 destroying the labour market, ultimately created more jobs than they eliminated. 8 the same pattern will hold true in the age of artificial intelligence is a question that only time can answer.