A future where everything is automated...

A future where everything is automated...

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Chapppers

Original Poster:

4,483 posts

198 months

Friday 15th August 2014
quotequote all
Morning!

For some reason I couldn't sleep and ended up on the usual youtube web quest, eventually coming across this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Pq-S557XQU. It explains a future where everything (no, really, everything) is automated which eventually means that jobs / humans become obsolete. I know there's a youtube thread but I was hoping for more of a discussion around the concept. What happens afterwards? What will humans be for in that case?

I'm fairly sure my job is already in the process changing, it might be a few years yet but there's no reason it shouldn't be taken out of human hands once people get their heads around it, not to mention that when there's automated cars around, there shouldn't be any need for Stability Control Systems and ABS to get them out of the accidents they didn't get into in the first place!

I think the film 'Her' also raises some interesting concepts around this subject but on the virtual side of things. No spoilers for those who've not seen it but totally should have by now.

(The flaw is electricity of course; if we run out of electricity first then the whole concept is screwed.)

anonymous-user

61 months

Friday 15th August 2014
quotequote all
We'll just do fun stuff, as all the jobs will be automated. Unless we create jibs that could be automated but we do them just because we want to.

If we don't have jobs then obviously we need some new kind of economy.

smiffy180

6,021 posts

157 months

Friday 15th August 2014
quotequote all
Watch wall-e smile

steveatesh

5,037 posts

171 months

Friday 15th August 2014
quotequote all
Chapppers said:
Morning!

For some reason I couldn't sleep and ended up on the usual youtube web quest, eventually coming across this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Pq-S557XQU. It explains a future where everything (no, really, everything) is automated which eventually means that jobs / humans become obsolete. I know there's a youtube thread but I was hoping for more of a discussion around the concept. What happens afterwards? What will humans be for in that case?

I'm fairly sure my job is already in the process changing, it might be a few years yet but there's no reason it shouldn't be taken out of human hands once people get their heads around it, not to mention that when there's automated cars around, there shouldn't be any need for Stability Control Systems and ABS to get them out of the accidents they didn't get into in the first place!

I think the film 'Her' also raises some interesting concepts around this subject but on the virtual side of things. No spoilers for those who've not seen it but totally should have by now.

(The flaw is electricity of course; if we run out of electricity first then the whole concept is screwed.)
Didn't they make a film about this eventuality, I think it was called "terminator" or something wink

Can you honestly see any woman leaving her hair salon session to a robot? I think not !

scarble

5,277 posts

164 months

Friday 15th August 2014
quotequote all
Doesn't The Time Machine sort of look at this (albeit with a subservient underclass vs. machines) as well as A Brave New World?
Probably countless other films and books.

While we're on the subject though, my local (to work) Tescos has just got a "scan as you shop" till section put in next to the DIY tills and I do wonder about the implications of entirely replacing all till staff with DIY tills.
There's the humanitarian argument that people need jobs, but economically does it make more sense? For the company, lower costs, but for the economy as a whole, less wages going in, further increases the.. wealth divide or whatever they call it? Does it reduce tax revenue, or would that depend on what tax avoidance schemes the share holders use?

If we try to imagine a world where supermarkets are entirely automated, rubbish is just dropped in a chute and that's the last you see of it, basically all unskilled labour is automated, the only options are skilled jobs or no jobs, but maybe not everyone can do a skilled job.
I think the end result is the unskilled live off benefits supported by the skilled workers while the share holders avoid paying tax and get rich off everyone else and I think we're already there tongue out

Catatafish

1,448 posts

152 months

Friday 15th August 2014
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You will just be clamped into a frame with your eyelids glued open whilst google shines adverts directly onto your retina. You autonomic response will determine if a purchase is made.

The first phase will be the self driving car which will annoy your whole journey with advertising.

Chapppers

Original Poster:

4,483 posts

198 months

Friday 15th August 2014
quotequote all
Yes, I am more than a little concerned about the current push of advertising into people's lives now.

scarble

5,277 posts

164 months

Friday 15th August 2014
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As if all the spying and data hoarding wasn't enough, on top of all the junk mail shoved through the door.. there's now junk mail in half the stuff you order online smash
In fact I'm going to send a snotty email about that now..

Edited by scarble on Friday 15th August 11:02

Toltec

7,167 posts

230 months

Friday 15th August 2014
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Read 'The Midas Plague' by Frederik Pohl.



TLandCruiser

2,811 posts

205 months

Friday 15th August 2014
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I also think it's a contribution to societies devolution of people skills and ever increasing violent or aggressive attitudes to each other, as our human interaction becomes less and less and we spend more time interacting with a computer!





Edited by TLandCruiser on Friday 15th August 15:08

ikarl

3,741 posts

206 months

Friday 15th August 2014
quotequote all
TLandCruiser said:
I also think it's a contribution to societies devolution of of people skills and ever increasing violent or aggressive attitudes to one each other as our human interaction becomes less and less as we sped more time interacting with a computer!
Well typed!

hehe

Caruso

7,469 posts

263 months

Friday 15th August 2014
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Although processes can be automated, I'm not sure all jobs can be. We'll just end up doing creative or management jobs.

TLandCruiser

2,811 posts

205 months

Friday 15th August 2014
quotequote all
Caruso said:
Although processes can be automated, I'm not sure all jobs can be. We'll just end up doing creative or management jobs.
I think the NHS already has that!

Ray Luxury-Yacht

8,914 posts

223 months

Friday 15th August 2014
quotequote all
Ahahaha, well, it's already happened to me!

I used to be in the printing industry. Good industry, good money.

Then the internet and digital printing came along, and basically buggered it all up, along with the recession. No-one wants ink on paper anymore, and those that still do, only want to pay pennies for it. Hence, I started to suffer redundancy after redundancy...

So I realised I had to change career - and I thought to myself, what is a decent, interesting career, that can never be automated?

My answer saw me re-training as a Paramedic - two years in now, with just a year to go before qualifying.

I can't ever see this job becoming automated, lol!!!


TLandCruiser

2,811 posts

205 months

Saturday 16th August 2014
quotequote all
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
Ahahaha, well, it's already happened to me!

I used to be in the printing industry. Good industry, good money.

Then the internet and digital printing came along, and basically buggered it all up, along with the recession. No-one wants ink on paper anymore, and those that still do, only want to pay pennies for it. Hence, I started to suffer redundancy after redundancy...

So I realised I had to change career - and I thought to myself, what is a decent, interesting career, that can never be automated?

My answer saw me re-training as a Paramedic - two years in now, with just a year to go before qualifying.

I can't ever see this job becoming automated, lol!!!
Good on you! I was put in my combat medics course when I was in the army...and I loved it! But when I left the army there was no trainne medic positions going! But never say never! I think it is a fantasic profession! How old were you when you changed careers?

tapkaJohnD

1,993 posts

211 months

Saturday 16th August 2014
quotequote all
el stovey said:
We'll just do fun stuff, as all the jobs will be automated. Unless we create jibs that could be automated but we do them just because we want to.
Oh, dear, this was the prediction in the 1950s, along with "nuclear power will be so cheap we won't bother to meter it".

JOhn

Ray Luxury-Yacht

8,914 posts

223 months

Sunday 17th August 2014
quotequote all
TLandCruiser said:
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
Ahahaha, well, it's already happened to me!

I used to be in the printing industry. Good industry, good money.

Then the internet and digital printing came along, and basically buggered it all up, along with the recession. No-one wants ink on paper anymore, and those that still do, only want to pay pennies for it. Hence, I started to suffer redundancy after redundancy...

So I realised I had to change career - and I thought to myself, what is a decent, interesting career, that can never be automated?

My answer saw me re-training as a Paramedic - two years in now, with just a year to go before qualifying.

I can't ever see this job becoming automated, lol!!!
Good on you! I was put in my combat medics course when I was in the army...and I loved it! But when I left the army there was no trainne medic positions going! But never say never! I think it is a fantasic profession! How old were you when you changed careers?
Thanks dude! I am 42 now...will be qualified just before my 43rd Birthday. Am loving the course, but not so much the student 'wages' (i.e. nothing biggrin ) but it's been an amazing ride so far.

There is one ex-combat medic on my course. From what I have heard, someone like you would easily get a place to train up.

If you want to, PM me and I'll help as much as I can!


VeeDubBigBird

440 posts

136 months

Friday 5th September 2014
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I'll get worried about a fully automatous world when they finally build a snack machine that doesn't jam or auto-correct that doesn't have Tourettes.


Also i this scares you, try watching I Robot or Surrogates.

smegmore

3,091 posts

183 months

Saturday 6th September 2014
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Toltec said:
Read 'The Midas Plague' by Frederik Pohl.
Just downloaded that to my Kindle, thanks! thumbup