How do we avoid some form of socialism once AI starts replacing human labor at scale?

[Anomalism]

Once AI eliminates most human labor, the traditional “work for survival” model collapses. The question isn’t whether AI can do our jobs anymore, it’s how society responds to the distribution of the output.

Historically, when an economic system loses its core structure, societies have three ways to react: coercion, redefinition, or redistribution.

Coercion/Exclusion: The elite could hoard AI output, keeping the majority dependent on them. Digital feudalism. Possible, but politically unstable. Humans tend to revolt when survival is out of reach.

Redefinition of value: We could redefine what matters: art, science, caregiving, or creative purpose. Work becomes voluntary, but it assumes people can psychologically accept a life where economic power no longer defines status.

Redistribution/Collective provisioning: Essentially, socialism in practice: universal basic income, guaranteed access to essentials, or state-managed allocation of AI-generated resources. Someone has to decide how the machine’s output gets used.

Avoiding collective solutions is possible only under a narrow set of conditions: the elite maintain strict control of AI output, people accept material inequality without revolt. Otherwise, as humans lose the need to work, society will be forced to answer the distribution question.

The deeper AI penetrates, the narrower the space to avoid collective provisioning. Post-labor society is essentially a spectrum: from techno-feudalism to automated socialism, with social pressure pushing toward one form of collective solution or another.

How we structure power, purpose, and access in a world where humans no longer need to work to survive.

 

[Manonthestreet]

we create work like this

 

[Woodznutz]

Once AI eliminates most human labor, the traditional “work for survival” model collapses. The question isn’t whether AI can do our jobs anymore, it’s how society responds to the distribution of the output.

Historically, when an economic system loses its core structure, societies have three ways to react: coercion, redefinition, or redistribution.

Coercion/Exclusion: The elite could hoard AI output, keeping the majority dependent on them. Digital feudalism. Possible, but politically unstable. Humans tend to revolt when survival is out of reach.

Redefinition of value: We could redefine what matters: art, science, caregiving, or creative purpose. Work becomes voluntary, but it assumes people can psychologically accept a life where economic power no longer defines status.

Redistribution/Collective provisioning: Essentially, socialism in practice: universal basic income, guaranteed access to essentials, or state-managed allocation of AI-generated resources. Someone has to decide how the machine’s output gets used.

Avoiding collective solutions is possible only under a narrow set of conditions: the elite maintain strict control of AI output, people accept material inequality without revolt. Otherwise, as humans lose the need to work, society will be forced to answer the distribution question.

The deeper AI penetrates, the narrower the space to avoid collective provisioning. Post-labor society is essentially a spectrum: from techno-feudalism to automated socialism, with social pressure pushing toward one form of collective solution or another.

How we structure power, purpose, and access in a world where humans no longer need to work to survive.

TBD. We don't know what the long-term effect of AI will have on society. Displaced workers will find other things to do. New industries will spring up that aren't dependent on AI and can't be replaced by AI. Paychecks will still be written to people, not to machines or computers.

 

[Anomalism]

TBD. We don't know what the long-term effect of AI will have on society. Displaced workers will find other things to do. New industries will spring up that aren't dependent on AI and can't be replaced by AI. Paychecks will still be written to people, not to machines or computers.

AI is already starting to replace human intellectual work. If we can't keep up with it physically or intellectually, what form of labor could we provide that it couldn't?

 

[Woodznutz]

AI is already starting to replace human intellectual work. If we can't keep up with it physically or intellectually, what form of labor could we provide that it couldn't?

Recreational businesses that are service oriented rather than product oriented. AI and robotics are good at making stuff, not so good at providing services. Then there's always maintenance work, which isn't a good fit either. AI is like money; it's a great servant but a cruel master. We need to make sure it doesn't become our master.

 

[Anomalism]

Recreational businesses that are service oriented rather than product oriented. AI and robotics are good at making stuff, not so good at providing services. Then there's always maintenance work, which isn't a good fit either. AI is like money; it's a great servant but a cruel master. We need to make sure it doesn't become our master.

Whatever pockets are left won't replace the profound amount of labor that's no longer needed from us.

And who says AI won't do maintenance? It will probably end up building and repairing other AI. I wouldn't be surprised if the engineering gets so complex that it's literally incomprehensible to humans.

 

[Woodznutz]

Whatever pockets are left won't replace the profound amount of labor that's no longer needed from us.

And who says AI won't do maintenance? It will probably end up building and repairing other AI. I wouldn't be surprised if the engineering gets so complex that it's literally incomprehensible to humans.

I do building maintenance work. Trust me, AI is a bad fit for what I do although it might influence the cost or production of the materials that I use.

 

[LibertyWeeps]

With the current socio-economic structures that are in place on this planet............when AI takes over more than 1/3 of the workforce.........

The collapse of all societies will fall, and we will all become slaves of the state.

Humans wont have jobs anymore, therefore we will only have the state (government) to depend on for our food, energy resources, and medical needs.

The states and their lackies, the corporations replacing humans with AI, will be the ones in control. Government will fully take over everything.
Humans will either have to fend for themselves, or conceed to the demands of the state in order to be able to live a basic life.

 

[Woodznutz]

With the current socio-economic structures that are in place on this planet............when AI takes over more than 1/3 of the workforce.........

The collapse of all societies will fall, and we will all become slaves of the state.

Humans wont have jobs anymore, therefore we will only have the state (government) to depend on for our food, energy resources, and medical needs.

The states and their lackies, the corporations replacing humans with AI, will be the ones in control. Government will fully take over everything.
Humans will either have to fend for themselves, or conceed to the demands of the state in order to be able to live a basic life.

I dunno. There's a lot a resistance to those proposed AI data centers now.

 

[Anomalism]

AI is a bad fit for what I do

For now.

 

[Woodznutz]

For now.

I'd like to see a robot plaster up a wall that was damaged by water leaking from a soil pipe, or build a custom kitchen countertop cabinet* (two projects that I'm doing now).

*Including selecting the laminate pattern (from the awful choices now available).

 

[Anomalism]

I'd like to see a robot plaster up a wall that was damaged by water leaking from a soil pipe, or build a custom kitchen countertop cabinet* (two projects that I'm doing now).

*Including selecting the laminate pattern.

Some jobs will take longer to replace than others. Even by the time a third of the jobs have been replaced, huge societal changes will be necessary.

 

[Woodznutz]

Some jobs will take longer to replace than others. Even by the time a third of the jobs have been replaced, huge societal changes will be necessary.

The short answer to that is to start a war, conscript a lot of people, then get them killed. Problem solved.

 

[Anomalism]

The short answer to that is to start a war, conscript a lot of people, then get them killed. Problem solved.

That doesn't sound like a solution to me.

 

[LordBrownTrout]

When will AI take on a skynet physical robotic form?

 

[BluesLegend]

Once AI eliminates most human labor

LMAO that's not going to happen.

 

[Dorian Mode]

It depends on if we still have a market economy. Markets adjust to how much money is available in the system to buy the goods available in the system. One easy way to adjust for AI is to reduce the work week until full employment is again reached. Imagine having to only work 2 hours a day, 4 days a week and still be able to afford the same quality of life if not better? Who made the rule that we MUST work 40 hours no matter what? That's just one idea. There are always great solutions to humanities problems, but we are better off not letting politicians be in charge of making solutions. They **** up everything they touch.

 

[Anomalism]

When will AI take on a skynet physical robotic form?

I think Elon is working on that.

 

[Dorian Mode]

When will AI take on a skynet physical robotic form?

Not soon enough. I'd rather take my chances with AI than corrupt warmongering politicians all around the globe.

 

[LordBrownTrout]

Not soon enough. I'd rather take my chances with AI than corrupt warmongering politicians all around the globe.

You'll be able to bow down and worship the image of AI soon. It will be great for about 3 and a half years.