Robot and Happiness: Average Gains, Divergent Lives

Does automation enhance or erode subjective well-being? Using a large-scale longitudinal survey of Chinese residents, we find that greater robot exposure significantly increases self-reported happiness: a one-unit rise in robot exposure predicts a 0.285-point gain on a 5-point scale. However, the average gains conceal substantial heterogeneity. Positive effects are concentrated among individuals with higher socioeconomic status (SES), while lower-SES groups experience limited or adverse impacts, giving rise to happiness inequality. Mechanism analysis attributes average improvements to rising income, extended leisure time, improved health, and strengthened self-identification, whereas SES-based divergence in these channels explains the sharp heterogeneity. We also document a structural shift from collective to individualized happiness, manifested in declining family involvement, greater emphasis on self-fulfillment, decaying kindred networks, and growing political apathy. Our findings suggest that automation not only boosts average happiness but also deepens inequality and reshapes the foundations of well-being. JEL Codes: I31, O30, J20, I10, H75