Realistically, what's the solution to the huge number of people that GPT and other futuristic AI technologies will replace? Is UBI the solution?
Having read a bit about UBI I see it as something that's completely unavoidable in the long-term as human labor is eventually non-competitive in all fields of work, but in the mid term I don't really know what should happen. I don't think it's right to expect the people who aren't permanently unemployed to continue working to support those who are, but you also can't expect those people to support everyone else who is permanently unemployed.
#What's going to happen to jobs in the future?
nimble crystal
gilded cargo
Allow me to give you a super hot take. In the United States alone, there is 1.2 million carer jobs that are described as the largest workplace employment gap ever. Meaning, at any given time, you could fill these 1.2 million jobs overnight if people were willing to do it.
I think AI taking away jobs that consist of editing text or creating summaries, or even some really tired, boring, and soulless jobs where you have to input hashtags into a machine for some crappy social media campaign, is actually a good thing, because it's going to force people to start going into the real world and helping each other. But that's just me.
nimble crystal
Allow me to give you a super hot take. In the United States alone, there is 1.2 ...
I think it'll be a good thing to a certain point. There's definitely a lot of fake bullshit jobs, but I think that the downstream effects of losing tons of jobs forever is going to be really bad. For example, even if you're "safe" as a plumber, or you transition into a career like that, what good is it if half the people you know are unemployed? You can't fix the lawyer down the street's pipes for money if he's out of the job.
Not only that, but I think that, if a ton of jobs suddenly disappear forever, the increased competition for the remaining jobs will push wages down even further, despite wages largely stagnating for years. If demand for labor overall drops, and the supply stays the same, that seems like it'd be a bad outcome for most people overall. (But I'll end this by saying that I'm definitely not an economist lol)
maiden ore
Glad you've looked into UBI. It's actually not a mid or long term solution, it's something we need ASAP for the concerns you lay out. And it's not just about preventing doom and gloom, but rather activating all our innate talents and desires and calling.
nimble crystal
Glad you've looked into UBI. It's actually not a mid or long term solution, it's...
I agree that it'd be better sooner than later, but I don't see it happening realistically, at least here in the US. I can't even get proper healthcare lol much less a "have a blast" monthly stipend
maiden ore
I hear that. But I think it's good to have hope in that UBI has bi-partisan/non-partisan support, AND I think is a necessary first step to getting universal healthcare as well. It's important to see how it's a catalyst for change, I don't think of it as just yet another progressive policy that's hard to achieve but yeah as I said a first step.
Voting reform (ranked choice voting) is going to have a huge effect in fixing the woes of our world and government too, something that's slowly passing and getting on ballots across the country.
gilded yacht
The only way to improve voting is to give American Republicans their own country and agree to leave them free to do whatever they want. Then we can advance the government finally instead of stalling itself indefinitely on both sides.