this post was submitted on 18 Dec 2023
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Read an article in the economist ten years ago or so that said that with the automation potential back then, we could have 70% unemployment and still produce western middle-class living standards for absolutely everyone. Probably not cars (go public transport, instead) but definitely roof and four walls, healthy food, education and entertainment, healthcare, and a washing machine. Reason it's not happening is that while investing in that kind of thing has a giant ROI, it's also long-term, for quarterly or even ten-year profits it's more advantageous to hire humans.
Honestly, actually that's good news: It's going to happen one way or the other anyway, and we don't want that kind of control over automated means of productions in the hands of people too greedy to invest in it.