What kind of economy will work when 80% of jobs are lost to automation??

I have read that over 80% of jobs will be lost to automation in the next 50 years. Assuming that's true. How will capitalism work if that's the case? How will there be up ward mobility when there are only jobs for 20% of the population? Are we gonna have to find a totally different economic system?

a reply to: Entreri06

They said that 50 years ago. And therefore they will move to a service oriented economy. It will basically be how the USA is now. Just farming will be automated, production will be fully automated, and distribution including cars will be automated. I think we will have forced sterilization to be honest

The next step in mankinds advancement will have to be the move to a society that is no longer based on monetary exchange. I don't know if it's possible, but it's the only way that I can see it happening.

a reply to: camain

Or a rouge virus that mutates and wipes out a vast majority of the population.

a reply to: Entreri06

Hopefully in the next 50 years, the focus of mankind will switch from the acquisition of wealth to the betterment of humanity.
At that point, capitalism won't be able to exist.

a reply to: Entreri06

They will need someone to fix the damn things when they break.

originally posted by: camain
a reply to: Entreri06

They said that 50 years ago. And therefore they will move to a service oriented economy. It will basically be how the USA is now. Just farming will be automated, production will be fully automated, and distribution including cars will be automated. I think we will have forced sterilization to be honest

I'm talking about America in 50 years. I think we are being trained ( not necessarily purposfully) by amazon and paypal to no longer want human interaction like a service industry.

originally posted by: soulpowertothendegree
a reply to: Entreri06

They will need someone to fix the damn things when they break.

That's the 20% who will still have jobs.. Until we make robots who do said fixing.

a reply to: peter_kandra

That's exactly what has to happen.

I want to believe it can, and I know some people are more than capable. Sadly, the vast majority of our race can't look any further than themselves and for that I fear we are doomed.

a reply to: Entreri06

I think about this as well. What WILL happen? We won't have an economy? Of course we will. There will still be outrageously rich, very poor and all the inbetweens. Will we ALL be able to take a cruise whenever we like? How about having steak and lobster 3 times a week? Diamond and gold jewelry? Fancy cars? Beautiful homes, fishing boats, personal aircraft.....etc, etc, etc, all the things many are working towards today. How will the levels of haves and have nots change? Or will we all live in identical brick houses with one Chevy parked in the driveway. Will we each be responsible for building our own? What about if we aren't physically or intellectually able?

Yes, not only what type of economy but what kind of life?

a reply to: Entreri06

They will be replaced with newer jobs. Like machinery repair, computers, IT, etc. Just because certain career paths disappear, doesn't mean that new career paths aren't being made.

Also, expect the black market to continue to grow in size as more and more people without the intelligence to work these newer jobs wash out of the legal economy.

originally posted by: peter_kandra
a reply to: Entreri06

Hopefully in the next 50 years, the focus of mankind will switch from the acquisition of wealth to the betterment of humanity.
At that point, capitalism won't be able to exist.

That's a pipedream. If humans haven't shifted focus in the 1.6 million or so years we've been on the planet, don't expect it to happen within the next 50 years. Especially when the older generations who don't follow those beliefs are still alive.

Such a transition is going to take at least a several generations.

originally posted by: Entreri06


I have read that over 80% of jobs will be lost to automation in the next 50 years. Assuming that's true. How will capitalism work if that's the case? How will there be up ward mobility when there are only jobs for 20% of the population? Are we gonna have to find a totally different economic system?

There will always be niche markets. People need to stop relying on other people to give them a job and make one for themselves through entrepreneurship. I don't understand people that are satisfied working for someone else.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

We have been around a long time, but the last 100 years has been exponential in our growth, surely the next 50 will be equally astonishing. I think that fact means that asking(and answering) these types of questions must be done much sooner rather than later.

I believe that as we excel forward(rapidly) we will reach a point where we will either hit a wall(destruction) or overcome it and progress on(in a new, higher direction). It might not be 10 years away, and maybe not 50 but I don't think it's 1000's. However far off it is I can say that we are no where near ready to face that challenge and this is probably not something that should wait until the last minute. We should be preparing now.

originally posted by: MisterSpock
a reply to: Krazysh0t

We have been around a long time, but the last 100 years has been exponential in our growth, surely the next 50 will be equally astonishing. I think that fact means that asking(and answering) these types of questions must be done much sooner rather than later.

Look. It is well known that the older we get, the more conservative we get. Your thinking is VERY liberal and would have to start with the young. The young would have to maintain that thinking throughout adulthood, have children then establish it as the norm when they are old enough to become conservative. Otherwise, you aren't going to change the ways of old people with feel good rhetoric, so human population won't make such a change all at once. It's impossible.

I believe that as we excel forward(rapidly) we will reach a point where we will either hit a wall(destruction) or overcome it and progress on(in a new, higher direction). It might not be 10 years away, and maybe not 50 but I don't think it's 1000's. However far off it is I can say that we are no where near ready to face that challenge and this is probably not something that should wait until the last minute. We should be preparing now.

Every time they try to say that Moore's Law has a ceiling, we invent some new technology to make that claim wrong. I'm not entirely sure there is a wall that we will hit.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

"Look. It is well known that the older we get, the more conservative we get. Your thinking is VERY liberal and would have to start with the young. The young would have to maintain that thinking throughout adulthood, have children then establish it as the norm when they are old enough to become conservative. Otherwise, you aren't going to change the ways of old people with feel good rhetoric, so human population won't make such a change all at once. It's impossible."

I don't disagree with that, I have little hope for it ever changing. Just isn't necessarily bad to ask these questions and HOPE that something can be done about it.

All they have to do now is get rid of eighty percent of the people and they won't have to worry about the people being out of work. I think that is in the plan, they already have weakened us so we will get sick and die. A plague can wipe us out and nobody will suspect that our immune systems are shut down towards some things. In the end it will be those who eat organically and grow their own foods that will have the best chance of survival.

originally posted by: MisterSpock
a reply to: Krazysh0t

"Look. It is well known that the older we get, the more conservative we get. Your thinking is VERY liberal and would have to start with the young. The young would have to maintain that thinking throughout adulthood, have children then establish it as the norm when they are old enough to become conservative. Otherwise, you aren't going to change the ways of old people with feel good rhetoric, so human population won't make such a change all at once. It's impossible."

I don't disagree with that, I have little hope for it ever changing. Just isn't necessarily bad to ask these questions and HOPE that something can be done about it.

Society IS changing though. It just isn't going to change how anyone wants it to change. Such things are out of our control.

Good question...

More #ty jobs these days, better to have them replaced by robots and automatic systems anyways.

Just look only at groceries, how many people are there working, soon you don't need cashiers, can be become fully automated (already happening for a big part in my country where you don't need a cashier).
And it's good news for groceries, more profit! no healthcare costs and so on.
Before all of this you saw many of the industry moving to low paid country's, this is just another progress in the near time.
At least with robots and so on industry can move back to their own country.

It doesn't have to be a bad thing as long as it serves the people but company's want bigger profits and more.
So basically only a few really benefit where there are fewer jobs and just bigger and less company's.

I think everyone should have a basic income.. if you want more and nice stuff just do what you want/can.
Just face it more and more people can't have normal good pays job these days or even have a hard time just paying for food!, often parttime and just #ty jobs.
Look at the young these days, and especially if you didn't had a good education, you only can have very #ty low paid jobs (when lucky) and they can get rid of you with easy. Even for collecting dirt or the most simple jobs (example), they can even there just choose people with better education or even ask it.
There only change is starting something for themself but when that cost money.. the bank ain't giving it you...

So we should reinvent the economy where more people benefit from it and let robots and automatic systems do these #ty jobs... they can have them anyways.

originally posted by: peter_kandra
a reply to: Entreri06

Hopefully in the next 50 years, the focus of mankind will switch from the acquisition of wealth to the betterment of humanity.
At that point, capitalism won't be able to exist.

Star Trek socialism baby!! I for one an in!!