CDZ "West World" Technology Introduces Real Moral and Economic Dilemnas

[FA_Q2]

Really nothing that can be done - technology will move forward and lifelike robots are coming. We will adapt as we always have adapted to previous technology.

Sometimes that 'adaptation' is pretty damned harsh, like when we adapted to the global ash cloud after the Toba eruption and the human race was nearly brought to extinction.

The goal of most of this sort of discussion is how to minimize human losses and suffering, like the kind of suffering that most of us will experience in a jobless economy with 85% real U6 unemployment.

There really is nothing to 'minimize' IMHO. They are coming and will likely make things much easier for people in general. The change in the economy is going to come well before lifelike robots are the norm. We are already seeing machines that are replacing highly skilled labor and doing it far more efficiently than people ever could. The largest employment sector at this time is transportation - an employment sector that will essentially become nonexistent within the next ten years. There is already a mechanical doctor out there that outperforms any family practitioner.

Yes, the transition is going to be painful as the last one was (the industrial revolution) but it will leave us far better off. As the last one did as well.

 

[JimBowie1958]

There really is nothing to 'minimize' IMHO.

You dont think that people losing their jobs, their houses and being thrown out to live in back alleys to starve is something to minimize?

What do you think will happen to tax revenues when 85% of the work force is unemployed, replaced by robots? Will the government just forfeit on welfare and Social SEcurity? IS that a bad thing in your mind?

They are coming and will likely make things much easier for people in general.

By that way of thinking, if I stand with my left foot in boiling water and my right foot in freezing water I can be quite comfortable on the average, but sorry, Reality does not work that way. The aggregate stats on the GDP and the DOW might look absolutely marvelous and millions of people be living in complete misery. That is unacceptable to any good moral person.

The change in the economy is going to come well before lifelike robots are the norm. We are already seeing machines that are replacing highly skilled labor and doing it far more efficiently than people ever could. The largest employment sector at this time is transportation - an employment sector that will essentially become nonexistent within the next ten years.

The simple fact that it is happening does not mean that it cannot be managed in a way that is optimal for everyone in this country, dude.

There is already a mechanical doctor out there that outperforms any family practitioner.

Lol, bullshit. By what criteria do these geniuses compare a cold mechanical robot with a live flesh and warm blooded doctor?

Yes, the transition is going to be painful as the last one was (the industrial revolution) but it will leave us far better off. As the last one did as well.

Except that those revolutions created more jobs as there was an increase in demand for people to build, maintain and design those new machines. In this robotics revolution, the product will be able to do all this with a steadily decreasing amount of human input at all.

The past does not determine the future, dude.

 

[FA_Q2]

There really is nothing to 'minimize' IMHO.

You dont think that people losing their jobs, their houses and being thrown out to live in back alleys to starve is something to minimize?

What do you think will happen to tax revenues when 85% of the work force is unemployed, replaced by robots? Will the government just forfeit on welfare and Social SEcurity? IS that a bad thing in your mind?

Taxes are not going anywhere - things will still be produced and taxes will still be charged. The strain on the system is going to come from more people requiring support. A lot more people.

One idea that has been thrown around quite a bit is a basic minimum wage for all weather you work or not. An idea floated by the RIGHT and not the left interestingly enough.

They are coming and will likely make things much easier for people in general.

By that way of thinking, if I stand with my left foot in boiling water and my right foot in freezing water I can be quite comfortable on the average, but sorry, Reality does not work that way. The aggregate stats on the GDP and the DOW might look absolutely marvelous and millions of people be living in complete misery. That is unacceptable to any good moral person.

No, that is not an accurate analogy at all. It will make life easier because it will improve efficiency and that means there will be more available with less work. That is simply a fact. There will be a lot of pain in transitioning to a new economic reality but in the end we will be far better off - after the transition is complete.

The change in the economy is going to come well before lifelike robots are the norm. We are already seeing machines that are replacing highly skilled labor and doing it far more efficiently than people ever could. The largest employment sector at this time is transportation - an employment sector that will essentially become nonexistent within the next ten years.

The simple fact that it is happening does not mean that it cannot be managed in a way that is optimal for everyone in this country, dude.

If I am not mistaken, your idea of managing it for everyone is trying to suppress progress.

And no, you cannot manage progress in that manner. If you try and suppress it here it will move somewhere else.

There is already a mechanical doctor out there that outperforms any family practitioner.

Lol, bullshit. By what criteria do these geniuses compare a cold mechanical robot with a live flesh and warm blooded doctor?

Trying to deny reality does not change reality.

AI found better than doctors at diagnosing, treating patients

IBM has already been in the field improving cancer treatments. The reality is that a computer can look at more information far faster all while dynamically comparing that with current research and information in treatment. A doctor simply cannot do that. As a result, they are starting to outperform doctors. This is going to continue and start becoming the norm.

Yes, the transition is going to be painful as the last one was (the industrial revolution) but it will leave us far better off. As the last one did as well.

Except that those revolutions created more jobs as there was an increase in demand for people to build, maintain and design those new machines. In this robotics revolution, the product will be able to do all this with a steadily decreasing amount of human input at all.

The past does not determine the future, dude.

No, they did not. Everyone used to have to work. Now many families only require one worker. More jobs were not created - instead efficiency increased requiring not only fewer people to work but also allowed them to work far fewer hours. The transition from an agrarian economy to that of an industrial one had many horrific things happen but in the end freed up time for people to pursue other desires. It made things much better.

The past does indeed give a lot of insight into the future. To deny that is just silly.