What's Next? (How our economic models divorce us from possible futures)

I've been thinking on this for a while, though I'm not much of a researcher, and am more interested in the way different ideas play off of each other. I would love to hear how others view our future with respect to gainful employment in an age of automation.

See, we are innovating ourselves out of relevance. With the advent of 3D printing, there is a dwindling need for people to be involved in the manufacturing process. While we've ("Developed" nations, specifically) already moved those jobs offshore, for the most part, relying on low-cost workers outside of North America, we are now nearly able to start replacing all the low-cost workers with machines that work for the cost of materials and maintenance.

Hooray! Let's bring all the manufacturing process home! And still keep our own people out of it.

With manufacturing handled, we have service industry jobs to allocate... but only so many services are really needed. We are developing software and hardware solutions to service industry woes as well. I'm sure anyone who has spent time in airports has seen the eStore vending machines, where you can buy smartphones, tablets, laptop computers, accessories, etc... or the "Dippin' Dots" dispensers where you pick the flavours of ice cream you want mixed, and the machine gives you a custom blend.

I guess the long and short of it is that we expect everyone to have jobs, and earn their keep, but so many of these jobs are being automated, and the number of people required to perform them is being reduced at an increasing rate. At what point do we reach saturation with all available jobs, and start having to deal with the real problem? The real problem we are going to face is that nearly every job can be automated, and made much more efficient and repeatable for much less money... which feeds directly into the success of our current economies.

So... what can we do? What happens to all of us if our economies run us all out of work, and we still rely on a model that requires us to earn our keep? We can't all be writers, painters and graphic designers for advertising (besides which, those jobs are being automated as well).

I'd suggest that despite any of our protesting, we will all be out of work one day. With the way our societies are set up now, this will mean we are either all living off the government teat, or we will destroy ourselves trying to fight it.

But what if we willingly give over control of all these service-industry and manufacturing jobs to automatons and conveyor belts, and just focus on development of ourselves? We need a new system that will let this happen, and even though we could immediately start this switch, it's not necessary for a lot of us yet... I just think we need to be ready for it. Soon. For most of us, this will come within our lifetimes.

So... What's next?

I don't think they need many of us anymore, they can now make sure we die. Good time to be an undertaker, they will be rolling in money shortly. In order for their plan to work, they need to kill off most all the good doctors first. When we see that happening, we will know it is starting. Doom porn opportunity....I love it.

a reply to: CrikeyMagnet

Automation and worker redundancy are the easiest bits of proof I need.

NO COUNTRY NEEDS a SINGLE IMMIGRANT.. All the immigrants do is lower the wages for the native people.

With modern technology, civilized nations will have less available jobs, this means an ever increasing number of unemployed people.

NO IMMIGRANTS needed.. AT ALL. all they are doing is ruining the party for the native people. AND pushing up the price for housing and food. overcrowding schools, hospitals, etc.

If you were born in a western country it could be awesome again if the immigrants were shown the door. Too bad for them that their countries are lame, we dont need them.

Innovation. That's what's next.

Will the next big idea come from one of us? That is the real question. Development of ideas is becoming increasingly out of reach for the uneducated. And our educational systems are not really living up to their promise (or tax burden) as they pump out graduating classes of people taught what to think, but not really taught how to think (outside the small circles of debate club and "gifted and talented" programs). Button punchers, process followers, rules followers. That is the product of what we call "education".

So the future really will depend on how well we can correct the lack of education, and how innovative we can be as people. Dream it, then design it kind of thing.

originally posted by: rickymouse
I don't think they need many of us anymore, they can now make sure we die. Good time to be an undertaker, they will be rolling in money shortly. In order for their plan to work, they need to kill off most all the good doctors first. When we see that happening, we will know it is starting.

Doom porn opportunity....I love it.

Part doom porn, part "Don't make plans for next Tuesday!"

a reply to: HanzHenry

Immigration would only be a problem if we cling to the system we're stuck with. The system we need is one that gives us the ability to be citizens of Earth instead of "Git off'n mah lawn!!".

I really do talk this way. It's tiring.

What I mean is why do we have to compete for jobs when machines are eager to do them for us? Fighting against it, and trying to hold it off is only going to make the transition more urgent when it comes.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
Innovation. That's what's next.

Will the next big idea come from one of us? That is the real question. Development of ideas is becoming increasingly out of reach for the uneducated. And our educational systems are not really living up to their promise (or tax burden) as they pump out graduating classes of people taught what to think, but not really taught how to think (outside the small circles of debate club and "gifted and talented" programs). Button punchers, process followers, rules followers. That is the product of what we call "education".

So the future really will depend on how well we can correct the lack of education, and how innovative we can be as people. Dream it, then design it kind of thing.

Unless we can automate that process too! Then all the humans need to do is sit around and look squishy.

a reply to: CrikeyMagnet

That would be contrary to humans. We are curious. Something will be our muse....

I know folks who work only because they choose to. One dude (he had several productive wells on his land that gave him hefty roylties) worked as an aid at the local mental hospital for almost 20 years. He used his paycheck to put the gas in his truck to get to work, and donated the rest to a pet cancer research project his wife was involved with. He was pretty old back then, considering. I suspect he is gone by now. I learned a lot about being a man working with him.

"Idle hands are the devils playground" is true. Full automation will never happen.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

my hands would not be idle if i had money and didn't need to work.

1. i would go on epic atv adventures through Maine, U.P., etc.
2. then I would buy an ultra glide and tour the pavement of USA
3. then in winter, I would live going via snowmobile all over the snow, hit Alaska
4. then I would do a Long Way Round type expedition
5. pepper some deep sea fishing once a month
6. spend a few months diving in Hawaii

this would satisfy my adventurous nature, and certainly not give me idle hands.

And work on some experiments I have always wanted to tinker on. But, those things all take an amount of time and money that only a millionaire can afford.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Certainly, we couldn't replace the wacky bits... but the bits that convince folks to keep buying things... those bits are easy. Turns out people are simple. The continuing automation can be sold as giving you more time to do what you've always wanted to do. Like write that book.