The rise of automation in the future will have a greater effect on cities of less than 100,000 people than on larger cities , according to new research . All of those regions have large populations and high proportions of skilled technical and managerial occupations, particularly technology jobs. The study , from the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( MIT ) , found that smaller cities have a greater proportion of workers in routine service roles , which are likely to be more vulnerable to automation . Larger cities , by contrast , were found to have a bigger proportion of workers in cognitive and analytical roles , which are expected to be more resilient .
The rise of automation in the future will have a greater effect on cities of less than 100,000 people than on larger cities , according to new research . The study , from the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( MIT ) , found that smaller cities have a greater proportion of workers in routine service roles , which are likely to be more vulnerable to automation . Larger cities , by contrast , were found to have a bigger proportion of workers in cognitive and analytical roles , which are expected to be more resilient .