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"Will robots cause unemployment or create new types of jobs and increased leisure time for humans?" Usual false dichotomy. It can be both, or neither. Robots

"Will robots cause unemployment or create new types of jobs and increased leisure time for humans?" Usual false dichotomy. It can be both, or neither. Robots are nothing novel. You can replace "robots" with "farm machinery" or "construction equipment" and ask the same question--except then, then answers are clearer, which makes the absurdity of this question apparent. Farm machinery probably created unemployment among farm hands. On the other hand, rich countries would not have the same standard of living they have today if half their labor forces were on farms.

chillingeffect 11y ago
Yup, typical dramatic headline technique. Anyway, consumer's hunger increases with productivity increases. In 20 years, when even more robots than we already have are deployed, we will all want more complex, highly integrated stuff, requiring the same amount of employment to produce. Anyone who doesn't believe me, think back to the days before interchangeable parts. We could live that way today and have lots of free time, but we apparently don't choose to. We have higher standards, want more diverse food, more complex entertainment, cleaner everything, fancier, more decorated houses, vehicles with more features. Additional robots - on top of the ones of which we already have lots of - won't take away jobs, they will deliver us finer consumer items and health standards.
SixSigma 11y ago
We exported the low standard of living to agriculture dependent economies in the third world and keep them there with free trade agreements. EDIT: I'm not some ranting nut job http://www.freetradedoesntwork.com/ http://www.freetradedoesntwork.com/ IAN FLETCHER: Libertarians simply don't know their history. Take out a $10 bill and have a look at the portrait on it. Alexander Hamilton, founding father and intellectual architect of American capitalism, was a protectionist, and protectionism was American policy from Independence until after WWII. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-hughes/free-trade-doesnt-work-in_b_793593.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-hughes/free-trade-does...

chillingeffect 11y ago

Yup, typical dramatic headline technique. Anyway, consumer's hunger increases with productivity increases. In 20 years, when even more robots than we already have are deployed, we will all want more complex, highly integrated stuff, requiring the same amount of employment to produce. Anyone who doesn't believe me, think back to the days before interchangeable parts. We could live that way today and have lots of free time, but we apparently don't choose to. We have higher standards, want more diverse food, more complex entertainment, cleaner everything, fancier, more decorated houses, vehicles with more features. Additional robots - on top of the ones of which we already have lots of - won't take away jobs, they will deliver us finer consumer items and health standards.

SixSigma 11y ago

We exported the low standard of living to agriculture dependent economies in the third world and keep them there with free trade agreements. EDIT: I'm not some ranting nut job http://www.freetradedoesntwork.com/ http://www.freetradedoesntwork.com/ IAN FLETCHER: Libertarians simply don't know their history. Take out a $10 bill and have a look at the portrait on it. Alexander Hamilton, founding father and intellectual architect of American capitalism, was a protectionist, and protectionism was American policy from Independence until after WWII. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-hughes/free-trade-doesnt-work-in_b_793593.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-hughes/free-trade-does...