Asia is the world leader in robotics. There are more robots deployed here than anywhere else on the planet and for good reason. Robots and AI – artificial intelligence – will change how we live, work and play. In fact they already are.

Recent info from the IMF suggests that there are already around 1 million robots in use in Asia. However for the continent to Asia to fully reap this new opportunity, countries in the region will need to change their education systems and invest in innovation to support a new style of workforce.

As this chart from the last Regional Economic Outlook: Asia Pacific shows, Asia is at the forefront of automation with an estimated 65 percent of the world’s total industrial robot usage. China is now the single biggest user of these robots with an estimated 50 percent of the region’s total industrial robot usage, followed by Korea and Japan. 

The movement towards more automation and digitalization may bring global economic challenges, but it also provides opportunities for Asia to bolster its economy and reap the digital dividend—the economic benefits that come from going digital. 

To maintain its global competitiveness and to keep the world’s main engine of growth running, Asia’s policymakers need to tackle disruptions caused by automation and robots by supporting job creation without stifling innovation. This fine balance is easier said than done. But private and public companies along with their governmental counterparts are working toward this challenge.

Policies to help foster change include:

• Equipping job seekers with globally competitive skillsets by revamping education
• Investing in physical and regulatory infrastructure that supports entrepreneurship, innovation, and competition; and
• Addressing labor-market and social challenges, including income redistribution and safety nets.