.jpg?20260601')
We are being bombarded with stories about AI (Artificial Intelligence) now. From the fearmongers telling us that AI is going to take over the world and eradicate human life to the ‘visionaries’ who predict that it is going to be a wonderful asset to mankind.
AI is everywhere now! When you want to find out something do you ask Google or ChatGPT? AI is creating its own news reports, articles, essays and columns. Is this even made up by AI or a result of my own hard graft? They used to say the camera never lies but in the AI age can you believe any image or video you see?
So, if AI takes over all the jobs, then what will become of us?
The Oracle of Tesla, Elon Musk, has recently said that as AI and robots take over jobs, work will become optional’ and people could spend their time on hobbies, creativity, or personal pursuits and suggested that traditional employment will not be necessary for income. Mmm, how will that work?
In order for all of us to live our lives of leisure it will be necessary for someone, or organisation, to pay our bills and fulfil all our needs.
The factories filled with robots churning out all the goods we require with no human involved will be owned by billionaires and global conglomerates. Are we expecting them to donate their profits to a Lotus-eater society which picks up the tab for our homes, cars, holidays, clothes, education, health and eating out in fabulous restaurants?
Bearing in mind the behaviour of our industrial capitalists in today’s society I very much doubt it.
So then will our governments tax them to the hilt so that they can provide us with our super enhanced social security benefits?
Since most Western political parties are financed by said billionaires then I am not so sure that is going to fly either.
I can predict what will happen.
AI and robots will indeed take over many more occupations; they will run the factories and since robot surgeons are more accurate and precise than humans they will also take over the health industry. Aircraft, trains, trucks and buses will operate without drivers or pilots, again more safely than now, there will be no jobs for organics.
All seems doom and gloom doesn’t it. But there may be a way out.
The vast majority of shares in global conglomerates are not owned by the obscenely wealthy but in fact are owned by pension and investment funds and since most of us have some sort of involvement with either a private or state pension then if profits explode because of automation then these organisations will be able to pay out bigger pensions and start them at an earlier age.
So, what we might end up with is a society where the young, say 20 – 35-year-olds, work in the few occupations that will still need human involvement and the rest of us start drawing our pensions at 35 so we can embark on a life of pleasure and leisure. One can only hope.
jackie@jbeedie.com
&uuid=(email))