This is not going to end well...

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The future of AI and employment....

During the first 70 years of the digital era, computing power doubled every couple of years—and that produced steadily improving accounting software, airplane reservation systems, weather forecasts, Spotify, and the like. But on the scale of the human brain—usually estimated at 10 to 50 petaflops—it produced computing power so minuscule that you can’t see any change at all. Around 2025 we’ll finally start to see visible progress toward artificial intelligence. A decade later we’ll be up to about one-tenth the power of a human brain, and a decade after that we’ll have full human-level AI. It will seem like it happened overnight, but it’s really the result of a century of steady—but mostly imperceptible—progress.

Far from slowing down, progress in artificial intelligence is now outstripping even the wildest hopes of the most dedicated AI cheerleaders. Unfortunately, for those of us worried about robots taking away our jobs, these advances mean that mass unemployment is a lot closer than we feared—so close, in fact, that it may be starting already. But you’d never know that from the virtual silence about solutions in policy and political circles.

The AI Revolution will be nothing like [earlier industrial revolutions]. When robots become as smart and capable as human beings, there will be nothing left for people to do because machines will be both stronger and smarter than humans. Even if AI creates lots of new jobs, it’s of no consequence. No matter what job you name, robots will be able to do it. They will manufacture themselves, program themselves, repair themselves, and manage themselves. If you don’t appreciate this, then you don’t appreciate what’s barreling toward us.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/10/you-will-lose-your-job-to-a-...

The economist had a good piece on this a few weeks ago

Just saw this freaky article too.
Makes me glad I never spawned.

 

 artificial intelligence

plenty of that around here

Two of my kids are in engineering. They will be working on the robotics, so they’ll be okay.

The third will probably go into social work, which will be invery highdemand after everyone loses their jobs due to automation.

Please take my job so I can chill all day. 

 

The robots will be great. There will be more time to give free hugs.

The great American return to the farm is coming. Less people caged in factories and offices.   We will be able to employ human hands and rely less on pesticides and herbicides.  

They had automatic pool cleaners back in the 70s. If you still have a job now, I think you’re shit out of luck for being automated into early retirement.

>>>>They had automatic pool cleaners back in the 70s. 

 

What changed? 

Hugging is Gross

 

 When somebody tells me they're glad they didn't spawn -  I usually am also glad they didn't spawn. Successful spawning is not for amateurs.  If you're not into it 100% - best to not do it.

"Makes me glad I never spawned."

I'm glad I did, but I'd be lying if I said I don't worry about what's up ahead for her.

"The great American return to the farm is coming"

I seriously doubt it.  I haven't noticed a huge increase in interest in manual labor.

I guess everyone will get a government check to buy all the stuff the robots make

 

It will spell the end pf capitalism. If folks don't have jobs, how will they get money to buy the things and services the robots provide?

Everyone will have to be paid to live by the government.

Sorry, Brochacho - didn't read your post until after I posted.

D'oh.

"It will spell the end pf capitalism."

Wouldn't bet on it.

"I guess everyone will get a government check to buy all the stuff the robots make"

That's the thinking.  But if you're going to count on the government for a fulfilling life, good luck with that.

"More often than not, work defines a man’s worth to himself and to the world.  To work means you’re a man, and frequently a man’s work is his pride.  Work gives meaning to men’s lives.  If you would like to better understand the inner experience of being a man—what it feels like to be a man—understand a man’s relationship to his work.

Frank Pittman, in the book Man Enough, defines the experience by saying “Work keeps us busy.  It gives us structure, it defines us as functioning, contributing, worthwhile citizens.  It makes us part of the team, a community of fellow workers—even if we do our work in isolation.  If we feel work bringing us closer to our fellow workers or to the human community, we can feel pride and joy in our work, feel mutual emulation with all other workers, and feel ourselves the equal to any man.”

http://www.neilrosenthal.com/mans-work-helps-defines-his-worth/

People could still "work" - they just wouldn't work for the widget manufacturer anymore. Chances are that they could find something more fulfilling, Maybe even socially useful.

 

I'm retired now and often wonder how I had time to work - my days are full. I never relied on work to give me a personal.semse of worth, anyway.

Hal 9000 is hiring

Everyone is hiring. But the rent is still too high. 

Dave's not here.