Reader Peter is concerned about the future of jobs, living wages, and displaced workers in a robotic society.

Specifically, Peter asks “how do you think the evolution of robotics will play out?”

Hello Mish

At dinner with friends last evening, we discussed the idealistic thought that robots could one day serve the needs of mankind, allowing us to pursue our interests as we want, without the heavy constraint of having to work to sustain our existence.

I cannot imagine myself not wanting to build and achieve things. But it sure would be enabling if I could choose where I put my efforts based on my personal set of priorities.

While discussing this topic, I realized that as robotics enter our society, socialism would probably be friendlier as to what happens to displaced workers than would capitalism.

What happens if jobs that provide a living wage shrink faster than population growth? Is that a realistic and likely possibility?

I can only imagine that the profits reaped by robotics in a capitalistic system would have no intrinsic vested interest in what happens to these people.

There are strong forces in our capitalistic society that do not welcome the idea and/or cost of a broad social safety net, especially if it were to provide the equivalent of a living wage.

I don’t see a natural path in capitalism where robots working for mankind would free us to pursue our personal interests.

How do you think the evolution of robotics will play out?

Peter

Hello Peter.

No one knows how this will play out.

Regardless, paying people to do nothing, so that people can pursue personal interests is certainly not the answer.

Such actions would encourage people to have more kids for which there are no jobs. That’s clearly an unsustainable model.

If technology does not create jobs, then war is a distinct possibility.

But over the long haul, technology has always created jobs. Why is it different this time?

Unbridled Capitalism Not the Problem