Robotophobia hits Russia

Press, 15 December 1983, Page 22

Robotophobia hits Russia

NZPA-Reuter Moscow Many Soviet managers and workers are terrified of new technology and their resistance to change is slowing down the modernisation of industry, according to the Communist Party daily newspaper, “Pravda.” It said that a psychosis which could be described as “robotophobia” had gripped much of the Soviet Union’s industry and as a result new equipment was not being installed even when it was offered to factories. It said that when new technology was put in place it was often drastically under-used.

Instead of allowing new automated processes to reduce manning levels, factories simply switched off many functions of electronically controlled machines and allowed the same number of staff to work their mechanical parts by hand. “Pravda” said that the root of the problem lay in psychological conservatism and a fear of anything new among managers and workers. It warned that more effort had to be put into altering such attitudes and forcing change upon factories if the country was to keep up an adequate pace of industrial development.