General Discussion

abumbyanyothername

(2,711 posts) Fri Sep 7, 2012, 08:02 PM Sep 2012

Jobless Economy [View all]

I have a friend with a horse in the race. He's a computer science/programming professor. He claims that within 20 years virtually every job that currently exists will be sourced . . . not to China or India, but to robots.

Please assume for purposes of discussion that this possible/true.

What, if anything, should be done about our economic fruits distribution system when the same standard of living that we enjoy today can be produced with <10% of the human labor currently required to produce it? What does that mean for our "work to eat" mentality/society?

15 replies

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Jobless Economy [View all] abumbyanyothername Sep 2012 OP

there was a link last week sometime to a online novel with that premise NMDemDist2 Sep 2012 #1

There will have to be some sort of societal shift in our attitudes towards labor. gkhouston Sep 2012 #2

Your friend is greatly mistaken. WinkyDink Sep 2012 #3

Your friend is dreaming... n/t progressivebydesign Sep 2012 #4

I work in the arts BarackTheVote Sep 2012 #5

Capitalism eats itself. JaneyVee Sep 2012 #6

There is a little thing called 'customer service' Grateful for Hope Sep 2012 #7

Regardless . . . abumbyanyothername Sep 2012 #8

This message was self-deleted by its author Grateful for Hope Sep 2012 #11

When you speak of robots taking over jobs Grateful for Hope Sep 2012 #15

Everyone that is capable should be a scientist or engineer Nikia Sep 2012 #9

Why are you friends with an idiot? Edweird Sep 2012 #10

Robots can't think, so those jobs will not be involved. Who will manufacture & service the robots? Honeycombe8 Sep 2012 #12

A fair amount of bad science fiction has this premise... TreasonousBastard Sep 2012 #13

Maybe I should have framed the OP differently abumbyanyothername Sep 2012 #14