But what will they do?

0 views
Skip to first unread message

Brian Howell

unread,
May 23, 2016, 11:39:38 AM5/23/16
to Ipse-...@googlegroups.com
Artificial [narrow] intelligence is poised to transform society, "liberating" many workers from a life of drudgery. Within a few years, call centers will be all but emptied with the remaining staff handling only the most complex situations. Fast food hamburgers and fries will be cooked, assembled, and delivered to customers by robot. Pharmacies will use robots to fill and dispense prescriptions. AI is now being used by lawyers to sift through documentary evidence and precedents. An increasing number of transit systems is operated robotically. And automated cars, and later trucks, will put millions of drivers out on the street. In short, AI technology is poised to have a transformative impact on the global service sector. Perhaps even greater that it has on manufacturing. 

Certainly there is the issue of how those many liberated millions—or even billions—will support themselves—or be supported financially. But there is also the simple issue of what will they do with their time?

Many people find value in life and define themselves by what they do: marketer, lawyer, cook... What happens to these people when those jobs go away? Not everybody can learn to code or write HTML. And there aren't enough golf courses to enable even a fraction of the soon-to-be-idled masses to tee up. Nor is there sufficient space at the beaches—especially with many of those expected to vanish over the next few decades as a result of global warming inundation. Well, I guess there's always ESPN, a bag of chips, and a cold can of Bud. 

At best, perhaps we'll end up looking like these folks: http://screenmusings.org/movie/blu-ray/WALL-E/images/WALL-E-382.jpg

jack saunders

unread,
May 23, 2016, 2:06:31 PM5/23/16
to Brian Howell, Ipse Dixit
My idea of a sure "period piece" laugh scene in cinema of the future where some surgeon cuts into somebody with a knife -- a specialist who who takes great professional pride in tying knots without looking.  It will seem more than quaint.  Grotesquely risky.  Like we view Civil War amputations and early dentistry....comically amateurish.


 



From: Brian Howell <bdho...@gmail.com>
To: Ipse Dixit <Ipse-...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Monday, May 23, 2016 8:39 AM
Subject: [Ipse Dixit] But what will they do?

Artificial [narrow] intelligence is poised to transform society, "liberating" many workers from a life of drudgery. Within a few years, call centers will be all but emptied with the remaining staff handling only the most complex situations. Fast food hamburgers and fries will be cooked, assembled, and delivered to customers by robot. Pharmacies will use robots to fill and dispense prescriptions. AI is now being used by lawyers to sift through documentary evidence and precedents. An increasing number of transit systems are operated robotically. And automated cars, and later trucks, will put millions of drivers out on the street. In short, technology is poised to a transformative impact on the global service sector. Perhaps even greater that it has on manufacturing. 

Certainly there is the issue of how those many liberated millions—or even billions—will support themselves—or be supported financially. But there is also the simple issue of what will they do with their time?

Many people are find value in life and define themselves by what they do: marketer, lawyer, cook... What happens to these people when those jobs go away? Not everybody can learn to code or write HTML. And there aren't enough golf courses to enable even a fraction of the soon-to-be-idled masses to tee up. Nor is there sufficient space at the beaches—especially with many of those expected to vanish over the next few decades as a result of global warming inundation. Well, I guess there's always ESPN, a bag of chips, and a cold can of Bud. 
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ipse Dixit" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to Ipse-dixit+...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/Ipse-dixit/ec5f99f5-75d1-490c-a128-ad3f3110ab7f%40googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.


Vince Koloski

unread,
May 23, 2016, 3:14:29 PM5/23/16
to Brian Howell, Ipse Dixit
That has been the question all along. One that the tech evangelists have been sidestepping for some time. Humanity has evolved both physically and socially to be productive. Our bodies and brains have evolved in a manner that optimizes our ability to procure food and modify our environment to our advantage. Societies have evolved similarly to attempt to maximize exploitation of resources and to control the internal and external environments to provide a level of stability and security. What happens when humans are no longer needed to provide basic needs or to formulate and regulate social structures. The singularity folks would have us believe that a new age of prosperity and security will be ushered in, but Brian's question remains. We did not evolve for endless leisure. The leisure is a result of our relentless striving. What will happen to us personally and socially when there is no survival-based need to strive. Sports? Arts and Crafts? Games of intelligence that exclude AI entry? Drugs?


On Mon, May 23, 2016 at 8:39 AM, Brian Howell <bdho...@gmail.com> wrote:
Artificial [narrow] intelligence is poised to transform society, "liberating" many workers from a life of drudgery. Within a few years, call centers will be all but emptied with the remaining staff handling only the most complex situations. Fast food hamburgers and fries will be cooked, assembled, and delivered to customers by robot. Pharmacies will use robots to fill and dispense prescriptions. AI is now being used by lawyers to sift through documentary evidence and precedents. An increasing number of transit systems are operated robotically. And automated cars, and later trucks, will put millions of drivers out on the street. In short, technology is poised to a transformative impact on the global service sector. Perhaps even greater that it has on manufacturing. 

Certainly there is the issue of how those many liberated millions—or even billions—will support themselves—or be supported financially. But there is also the simple issue of what will they do with their time?

Many people are find value in life and define themselves by what they do: marketer, lawyer, cook... What happens to these people when those jobs go away? Not everybody can learn to code or write HTML. And there aren't enough golf courses to enable even a fraction of the soon-to-be-idled masses to tee up. Nor is there sufficient space at the beaches—especially with many of those expected to vanish over the next few decades as a result of global warming inundation. Well, I guess there's always ESPN, a bag of chips, and a cold can of Bud. 

Brian Howell

unread,
May 26, 2016, 1:54:46 AM5/26/16
to Ipse Dixit, bdho...@gmail.com
Foxconn replacing 60,000 workers with robots.

Foxconn confirmed that they are automating many manufacturing jobs. (I've heard that they want near 100%.)

Since September 2014, 505 factories across Dongguan, in the Guangdong province, have invested 4.2bn yuan (£430m) in robots, aiming to replace thousands of workers.

Deloitte in partnership with Oxford University, suggests that 35% of jobs are at risk over the next 20 years.

Former McDonald's chief executive Ed Rensi recently said "It's cheaper to buy a $35,000 robotic arm than it is to hire an employee who is inefficient, making $15 an hour bagging French fries."

jack saunders

unread,
May 26, 2016, 2:20:08 PM5/26/16
to Brian Howell, Ipse Dixit
You and Vince are on to something epochal here.

We really are, as a tribe, hardwired to producing.  It's a core of cohesiveness.

The horror films are all about bad robots.  They miss the point.  Good robots are the threat.

 




Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages