A recent article by the IMechE (www.imeche.org) says that a forecast some years ago from Oxford University said 47% of jobs in the USA in 2010 were at “high risk” of being automated over the following 20 years, and 35% of jobs in the UK.

However, a recent report from the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) says the figure will be nearer 10% for the USA and 12% for the UK.

It said that previous forecasts exaggerated the effect of automation, because they grouped jobs with the same title together without taking into account what type of projects workers are involved in and their level of autonomy.

Robots have already automated most of the tasks in fields like the automotive sector, and engineers are using artificial intelligence to help them come up with new designs and find new materials.

However, some experts are suggesting that even relatively high-skilled jobs could soon be under threat.

Calum Chace, author of The Economic Singularity, said in an interview with the BBC: “The problem with all studies attempting to apply empirical evidence to this debate is that they fail to take into account the accelerating improvement in the ability of AI systems.

It is a foolish person who declares today the limitations of what those machines will be capable of.”