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It is never really “for free”. It appears free because machines, like perfect slaves, don’t ask to be paid for work. They still need to be fed though, energy,
by stephc_int13 4mo ago
It is never really “for free”.
It appears free because machines, like perfect slaves, don’t ask to be paid for work.
They still need to be fed though, energy, iron, etc.
No matter how you turn it, it can’t be free. Meaning you can’t benefit from it without owning it or trading something.
- danaris 4mo agoEnergy has become nearly free, though, as the space- and cost-efficiency of solar skyrockets. That's really not the problem here.
- qsera 4mo ago>They still need to be fed though, energy, iron, etc. But just like humans can help each other, robots could help each other too. This includes digging up various resources, finding means of power generation etc..
- stephc_int13 4mo agoOf course, but none of them is working for free, each consume energy and materials.
- qsera 4mo agoBy free, I mean "free of human effort"
- stephc_int13 4mo agoIf you own a factory, what you see is a big box with input and output, human labor is just an annoying variable, removing it won't turn the entire thing "free". The owner will still expect to trade the output for something else for his benefit.
- qsera 4mo agoI am thinking of a case where governments will own the robots. People will pay some minimal tax to pay for the maintenance of the robots. If other robots can be made to do it, then even that cost is saved. Government will, among other things, oversee that the needs of the people are well served by these robots.
- stephc_int13 4mo agoIf you think about it states are not much different than corporations. Taxes is human labor dedicated to the maintenance of state. I think it is naive to think that once humans are not needed they will magically be fed by the machines.
- qsera 4mo ago>If you think about it states are not much different than corporations. At least democracies have elections and that is a big difference.
- stephc_int13 4mo agoOtherwise you could say that humans are working for free as well, as they can cultivate their own food and even build themselves by making babies.