To be utterly despondent about AI

[AnotherGreyMorning]

and our future?

Jobs becoming obsolete. People unable to earn a living.

Villains harnessing for their own ends.

It will all move far too fast and at sophisticated levels for even the most dedicated to manage.

Governments will be stunned by it. People will really suffer.

I just feel quiet dread because whilst life will be great for the wealthy and those who are protected, for the vast majority, I think it will be hellish.

Via Virtual Reality.

You don't think in the future that your heating system will have an integrated microchip that will alert you to any errors?
And yes, it would be easier to then send round an AI bot to fix the issue

Mine already has an alert system. Like it or not, gas boilers will be a thing of the past anyway.

Yeah and watching Glastonbury on tv at home is easier than going there, but it’s not really the same is it.? 😂

people go to southampton boat show because they want to, it’s certainly more fun than staying at home and doing everything through VR

im out, I swear half the people on this thread are bonkers

No, they didn't

im out, I swear half the people on this thread are bonkers

Not at all. I know it may come as shock but at least now you know what is coming.

Robot tradesmen might one day join the robot uprising and kill us. But they wont ask to use our toilets. Which I learned on Mumsnet is a terrible thing... So probably a huge take-up.

I am worried about generative AI and the current lack of understanding and guard rails to minimise the bias…but we will catch up - technology already exists to eliminate bias using synthetic data.
The truth is, AI…and I mean that as the broad umbrella of which generative AI is a part…has huge and significant beneficial impacts to society…already in the last 20 years we have seen incredible advances in medicine because of AI.
Some jobs will be lost…that is inevitable and it’s particularly difficult because Gen AI has happened so fast.
I would tell any children to focus on maths, data science and computer science if they want to be part of AI job growth.
And there will always be jobs that are too expensive to replace robotically.
And taxing the robots is an option! I would like to see companies paying an automated decision levy. Banks have been using AI for decades to make credit risk decisions

But you still haven't explained how?

What on earth do you think I could do about it? Identifying an issue doesn't automatically mean you have a workable solution. See also global warming, pandemics, falling birth rates, skyrocketing national debts, etc.

Falling birthrates and everyone becoming unemployed because of AI can't both be a problem though? I never understood how people are panicked by both. The two together would cancel each out. Pick an apocalypse and stick with it!

It will indeed be interesting to see how all of these 'super wicked' problems ameliorate or compound one another over the next few decades. I suspect it won't be as simple as one cancelling out another though.

@Tangfastic71 I can understand the fears around AI but I was wondering why nobody mentioned the potential positives. Could you expand a little on the advances made by AI you mentioned.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/09/futurist-adam-dorr-robots-ai-jobs-replace-human-labour

Just to add to the debate.

If bonkers means knowing the world is about to undergo a revolution, pass me my bonkers badge. I’m going in eyes open and prepared. 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

Yep why are there so many threads splitting the two issues and rarely do people say hang on they kind of work together.

I listened to an institute director say even in research people are so siloed they’re panicking / focusing on small section and not talking about cross over

When you put it like that it does seem as if importing a million new people a year, in the face of job apocalypse and all the turmoil that that that will bring, might not be a great idea.

I believe him.

But was heartened by this quote. “This could be one of the most amazing things to ever happen to humanity.”

Hear hear @FlyingUnicornWings except we don't really know what to expect and how it will be managed to avoid huge detriment to the human race.

It’s not the best idea and nor is the current political trend to lament falling birth rates.

We don’t want millions unemployed in twenty years.

I don’t think birth rates will fall fast enough to cope with what AI is going to do to the job market though? Happy to be wrong about that though.

How are you preparing yourself? Genuine question.

In the more optimistic sci-fi, humanity has formed some sort of world federation where the benefits of technology keep everyone safe, healthy and fulfilled. There's often no money, as people can just have what they need or want. Everyone chooses an occupation according to their ability and preferences.

It's a possibility - although even the most hopeful creators seem to think we'd need devastating wars and/or natural disasters before arriving at the logical solution! There are ways of moving towards this scenario without killing everyone; the stumbling block is that it requires extremely strong, well-funded, altruistic governments co-operating to wrest the power out of corporate hands (or force them to operate on much smaller profits).

Leaving it to market forces is more likely to result in a Blade Runner / Hunger Games type of future. On one hand, I'd like to be here to see how it works out ... on the other, I'm glad I won't be!

I imagine there will be UBI, so we will have money to spend, alongside having part time jobs as we won't need everyone working full time. More time to volunteer, grow food? I'm not sure how it will work but I watched the video linked in one of the replies, and the big tech inventors definitely think UBI will happen.
UBI would replace benefits and state pension too I guess.
Whether that's a good thing or not, it probably is going to happen.

So AI will do all the jobs - including building, maintaining and repairing themselves

the non rich will no longer have any money to buy any products from the numerous AI run businesses.

no one will pay tax, NI or pensions

the businesses then go bust due to no customers other than the 5% who are rich

the rich lose their income as their investments no longer make money and the stock market has crashed

or maybe somewhere along the way the CEOs of the businesses will go shit we have no customers we better employ some humans