To ask your opinion about where we are headed as a society with regards to robots and job obsolescence?

[Calltheguards]

Not sure if this is on anyone else's radar but it seems like artificial intelligence and robotics are going to keep improving until all jobs are programmed and automated in to non existence? This appears to be happening at a quicker pace than we currently recognise.

This could lead the future to a robot revolution of sorts and the end of work as we know it.

Of course some jobs in automation engineering and robot maintenance will be created, but these will be far fewer than the current number of jobs that society has available. The majority of the public will be rendered jobless eventually.

Now what path do you think people will go down. Will we just let things happen as they happen? Will we turn towards more socialism? I don't think socialism is bad by the way, the NHS is socialism but it seems that many disagree with this.

I would like a civil discussion if possible, I really wonder what people's thoughts are in regards to this particular predicament we will find our selves in.

YY @SillyYak Agree.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3428761-to-think-that-the-computer-is-not-always-right

We have a 'robot' in one of our factories. It's amazing and hasn't meant people losing their jobs or replacing them. It means getting products welded a lot faster and cuts down on waste. It saves money and is more efficient.

It just means our staff do their jobs differently now. Programming the robot and using it is seen as the 'ultimate' job to be trained to do by our apprentices.

Hmm to the nonbelievers of the robot revolution, can you not imagine a time where AI will be developed to a point where there is fewer people needed?

What will all those jobless people do? I have heard some interesting suggestions such as UBI.

If you do not agree with socialism or UBI, what would be an alternative for our future robot era?

Of course fewer people would be needed in jobs that technology can take over, as has happened in many industries already.

But there will be other work that will evolve naturally, as I said before, and has happened before now so far.

Just as an example - I worked for HMRC for over 30 years, the last 20 years fully computerized. But computers can't explain to people why they owe tax, what mistakes were made, who is at fault, make judgement calls to resolve the issue.

Computers are a very useful tool - but they cannot make the nuanced judgement that a human can. AI is being developed, but even the most optimistic experts in that field do not claim that there is any prospect of getting anywhere close to the capabilities of the human brain.

I have no doubt whatsoever that there will be plenty of work that only humans can do for many thousands of years.

a lot of AI now, particularly in HR but also in things like predictive policing, is machine learning trained on historic data sets that are riddled with human bias

Agreed, but that really is just a matter of getting better data sets, it isn't an intrinsic problem with AI.

I read that they will transform education so that we won't need teachers.

Have the people who said that NEVER been in a school Do they have any idea what happens in an actual classroom ?

You can't just put a tv on and expect kids to watch and learn.

Unless the AI package is delivered through headsets that administer electric shocks if they don't do the work?

I envision the GP visit to be computerised to start. Like a photo booth where it scans you, takes your blood and can do other quick tests. You could pin point where your physical issues are and then see the GP for the consultation with the results.

What Oakmaiden said early in thread. There will be changes, but not ones that lead to no work for anyone, not even ones that lead to no low skill work.

I wonder when robots will be invented that can deal with stairs.

What should happen is that a four day week (or less!) becomes standard, so there are the same amount of jobs just with fewer hours. Unfortunately I think it’s more likely to go as it has in the past - some people are made redundant and work 0 hours while others still work a 5 day week of 40-50 hours.

Jobs will evolve, even for the low-skilled. I'm with the PP who said that handmade will have an elevated status compared to mechanically engineered stuff, so we may actually be looking at an increasing number of people going into visual and auditory arts and traditional manufacturing - possibly specialising in high-quality materials, which will become rarer owing to the - already evolving - capitalistic model of using ever cheaper materials and counting on items breaking or malfunctioning after a certain time.
Or we will go USSR-style and have many more non-jobs, just to keep the economy ticking over.
UI will not be a thing, ever - where would the money come from? You cannot tax a tiny number of people an infinite amount and profit gets ploughed straight back into business.

@WalkAwaySugarbear - I envision the GP visit to be computerised to start. Like a photo booth where it scans you, takes your blood and can do other quick tests. You could pin point where your physical issues are and then see the GP for the consultation with the results.

In a small way this has already begun. I was watching on the news recently that many GPs now conduct a large number of their daily appointments through face time or just over the phone. It will be a small step then to simply apply online to go a blood test machine located at the surgery ect and the results relayed from that to your file for the GP to be alerted, or even just an automated diagnosis given.

We have had robots acting as receptionists in my local GP surgery for at least 25 years now.

Or we will go USSR-style and have many more non-jobs, just to keep the economy ticking over.
UI will not be a thing, ever - where would the money come from?
I'm not sure there's a huge difference between UBI and government non-jobs. Aside from the fact UBI would be for everyone and you wouldn't need to give everyone a non-job, it's still the government giving people money that's got to come from tax somewhere. And even if the non-jobs stimulate the economy a bit the money would still end up in the hands of the robot owning big businesses soon enough.

I think there will have to be high tax and a form of UBI. But I don't think that UBI will give you much of a life - it'll be enough for a room in a shared house, just about enough food etc (a bit like UC is for a lot of people now).