From: Samantha Atkins (samantha@objectent.com)
Date: Thu Sep 05 2002 - 17:01:27 MDT
Dani Eder wrote:
> The issues I see are:
>
> (1) What will happen when large swaths of low-level
> jobs get automated? I mean the things like stock
> clerks and cashiers, that typically have lower skill
> levels. If you end up with lots of people who can't
> or won't upgrade their skills, what are they going
> to do with themselves?
>
> (2) What happens when the pace of change outpaces
> peoples' ability to adapt by learning new skills?
>
> Whether these issues matter depends on how long they
> will exist before the Singularity hits. In the short
> term, they can be managed by redistributing the
> fruits of productivity. This can be done privately
> (the well off get servants again) or publically
> (some form of welfare).
Only so many "servants" are needed and telling the people
that the efforts of themselves and their children has been
so fruitful that they must become servants of the rich or
starve is obviously unpalatable. So is any sort of
conventional "welfare".
What is needed imo is recognition that we live in
abundance and that tying any person's partaking of
that abundance (especially for the essentials to live
and participate at all) is atavistic thinking leading
to utterly unnecessary suffering and fear of technology.
- samantha
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