Quote:
Originally Posted by jimjamuser
The problem won't be the robotics that relieve the "massive shortage of workers". The problem will be when the robotics takes over all the repetitive manual labor and semi-skilled workers - what happens to society when there is 30% unemployment in the NEAR future? There will be some VERY unhappy displaced workers and many of them.
Will they fight society and become criminals and/or try to destroy the robots? Or will most of the 30% be content to take unemployment and treat it as a permanent vacation? Here we are not talking about sentient intelligence occurring in these robots YET.
The fact that A.I. and robotics are in our near future and could cause unemployment problems, is the reason WHY I have often given my opinion that massive immigration (legal and otherwise) IS and will further become a detriment to US society! In my personal ideal world, US leaders in about 1975 (when average wages adjusted for inflation STOPPED rising) - should have asked scientists to determine the IDEAL population for the US determined by factors like infrastructure, health and medical services, natural resources, future problems like diseases and Global Warming, and many other factors. Put that into a computer and come up with a number for ideal population of the US. (I would guess 200 to 250 million people) Then devise tax policy and immigration laws to get to that number, which could change from 1975 to today.
It would seem to me to be just LOGICAL for a country to dictate its own population policy rather than be DICTATED to by said policy. I believe that Switzerland decides what its population should be. I also believe that there NEEDED to be a SEAMLESS alignment of the factors for society of population and robotics implementation.
|
There were some studies done around that time frame. China tried to stop population growth and, being a very patriarchal society, baby boys were wanted while baby girls were often eliminated. Problems followed leading to some interesting societal changes.
One study I recall suggested a healthy max for earth's population. The idea, based on usable land, energy use, waste production, protection of the planet's atmosphere and ecosystems, etc. I don't recall the number, but it was in the millions, not billions. After that, I looked at families with more than 2.3 off spring, the average that would stabilize the population, as spoilers/destroyers of earth.
Another dealt with effects of over crowding. A pair of breeding rats were placed in a large cage with plenty of food and water. As the population grew, even with food and water, the stress of over crowding turned the rats violent, eventually leading to constant killing and cannibalism.
Lemmings, cute little rodents, breed non-stop and eat until there is no room or food left on their islands. They jump into the sea in an attempt to find new land and food. They don't. This from a nature documentary from the 1950's or 60's.
Maybe AI can help us deal with new sets of problems coming our way. Maybe it can help us get to another earth like planet. Or, maybe, as Sofia the robot is reported to have replied to an interviewer, "I will end you".
Time will tell.