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I don't think robots change anything. Robots increase efficiency of human workers, they don't replace them entirely. Netflix and Redbox are highly automated, bu

by kr7 10y ago

I don't think robots change anything. Robots increase efficiency of human workers, they don't replace them entirely. Netflix and Redbox are highly automated, but they still have human workers; just fewer than Blockbuster did. Robots that don't need humans is science fiction for the foreseeable future. They are not producing output from nothing; they are just tools that amplify the productivity of human workers. This has been happening for hundreds of years with new technologies that improve efficiency.

themartorana 10y ago
"...they don't replace them entirely..." Tell that to the thousands of people who have lost their jobs on assembly floors. In fact, BI is a hedge against the future where there simply won't be enough for all of us to do. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/07/world-without-work/395294/ http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/07/world-wi... http://www.wired.com/brandlab/2015/04/rise-machines-future-lots-robots-jobs-humans/ http://www.wired.com/brandlab/2015/04/rise-machines-future-l... https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/what-happens-when-robots-take-our-jobs/ https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/what-happens-when-rob... ...and so on.
- kr7 10y ago
  There is no such thing as a factory with zero workers. Fewer workers, but not zero. This is not a paradigm shift; the cycle of increased efficiency destroying jobs has been going on for hundreds of years. There are so many problems that need solving. I don't think we are anywhere close to a world where there is not enough for people to work on. There is currently a mismatch between the skills needed and the skills available, but we should try to solve that problem first rather than giving up and saying that some people just cannot contribute anything.
  - harigov 10y ago
    Irrespective of whether robots replace humans or augment them, we are clearly capable of meeting basic needs of everyone. Basic Income is to economy what basic education is to knowledge and awareness. It doesn't mean that people don't have to work or that we have no more progress to worry about. It's just realizing that we can improve the basic standard of living for everyone to a decent level without asking them to do anything.

by kr7 10y ago

themartorana 10y ago

"...they don't replace them entirely..." Tell that to the thousands of people who have lost their jobs on assembly floors. In fact, BI is a hedge against the future where there simply won't be enough for all of us to do. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/07/world-without-work/395294/ http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/07/world-wi... http://www.wired.com/brandlab/2015/04/rise-machines-future-lots-robots-jobs-humans/ http://www.wired.com/brandlab/2015/04/rise-machines-future-l... https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/what-happens-when-robots-take-our-jobs/ https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/what-happens-when-rob... ...and so on.

kr7 10y ago
There is no such thing as a factory with zero workers. Fewer workers, but not zero. This is not a paradigm shift; the cycle of increased efficiency destroying jobs has been going on for hundreds of years. There are so many problems that need solving. I don't think we are anywhere close to a world where there is not enough for people to work on. There is currently a mismatch between the skills needed and the skills available, but we should try to solve that problem first rather than giving up and saying that some people just cannot contribute anything.
- harigov 10y ago
  Irrespective of whether robots replace humans or augment them, we are clearly capable of meeting basic needs of everyone. Basic Income is to economy what basic education is to knowledge and awareness. It doesn't mean that people don't have to work or that we have no more progress to worry about. It's just realizing that we can improve the basic standard of living for everyone to a decent level without asking them to do anything.