Can robots help offset adverse demographics?

With the working-age population projected to shrink by almost a third by 2050, it has been suggested that robots could be part of the solution to Japan’s demographic challenges and help boost corporate profits too. However, robots are already widely used in the country’s manufacturing sector, so the upside seems to be limited. What’s more, the increasing scarcity of (human) workers may still increase labour’s bargaining power at the expense of capital.