The real threat of AI isn’t just that it might make human labor obsolete. The deeper danger is that it could strip away people’s sense of purpose-the feeling that what they do matters.
Joblessness is an economic issue.
And economies are human-made. We can redesign them.
Purposelessness is a human issue.
And if we don’t address that, no amount of UBI or retraining will fix the emptiness that follows.
AnimalMuppet · 3h ago
If AIs succeed in making (enough) labor worthless, then there are only a few options:
1. Universal basic income, driven by AI productivity.
2. The AIs own everything, and decide whether we get to continue to exist.
3. The few humans whose labor is not worthless (plus the rentier class) own everything, and get to decide whether we continue to exist.
Options 2 and 3 almost certainly result in literal civil war, unless the few humans and/or the AIs choose very wisely. So far, humans haven't shown a good track record of being that wise, and AIs have no track record at all. So I'm not optimistic.
krapp · 3h ago
A lot of people live lives of meager, grinding poverty, starve and die, and the market optimizes around them as capitalism is wont to do.
And then maybe a violent socialist revolution? Or maybe not.
- Water
- Food
- Clothing
- Shelter
- Healthcare
...to survive.
Humans also need:
- Friends
- Hobbies
- Sense of Purpose
...to thrive.
The real threat of AI isn’t just that it might make human labor obsolete. The deeper danger is that it could strip away people’s sense of purpose-the feeling that what they do matters.
Joblessness is an economic issue. And economies are human-made. We can redesign them.
Purposelessness is a human issue. And if we don’t address that, no amount of UBI or retraining will fix the emptiness that follows.
1. Universal basic income, driven by AI productivity.
2. The AIs own everything, and decide whether we get to continue to exist.
3. The few humans whose labor is not worthless (plus the rentier class) own everything, and get to decide whether we continue to exist.
Options 2 and 3 almost certainly result in literal civil war, unless the few humans and/or the AIs choose very wisely. So far, humans haven't shown a good track record of being that wise, and AIs have no track record at all. So I'm not optimistic.
And then maybe a violent socialist revolution? Or maybe not.