It seems to me that our overlords are driving the West towards a fully automated, entirely authoritarian future which delivers greater and greater material wealth - at least for the 1% (the rest of us appear destined to become serfs, living in a virtual reality pods). The million dollar question is how the people will react. If the Dutch farmer's protests are anything to go by, the answer is: not well. But pivoting away from the AI hellscape means giving up our dependency on material wealth, and finding wealth instead in other things, like relationships and work that gives satisfaction. Can we do it?
While I agree that our glorious and benevolent leaders are pushing us toward an authoritarian future, I would just add nuance to that argument by saying we're also driving *ourselves* in the tech/overlord direction. A billion people choose to use Facebook, to watch the cartoon network, to sign up for ChatGPT, whatever. One of humanity's greatest strengths/weaknesses is a relentless push towards the further technological-ification of everything.
I too wonder where this all ultimately ends up. We shall see.
Question becomes: how much automation can a society take? It's a bad time for humanity.
PUtting aside AI for the moment, humanity hasn't even managed to overcome the ruling elite (the 1%) via historical class struggle. Now the top of the feudal-caste-class pyramid has a new boss altogether: "the AI algo" followed by the erstwhile top ie. the 1% occupying a lower rung! Given that humanity hasn't even ever outdone the old landlord class, how can they overthrow an algo that produces outcomes in seconds, that beats grandmasters in Chess/Go/you-name-it ?!
Say you assume 90% of society becomes automated in the next 50 years: what becomes of money if it does not circulate? Open any intro macro economics text, in the very first chapter you will find "the circular flow diagram of money", guaranteed! Econ 101. Without circulation, money completely loses its value and meaning! Machines producing machines producing machines producing consumables! A completely bizarre macro economy devoid of humans, and devoid of human money circulation!
What is the need of governance in this scenario is a correct question raised by this post, but what becomes of the Wall Street Elite? Those leeches will not take to obsolescence quietly!
Prof Yusuke Narita tracks instances of "cats being elected mayor". They tried an experiment in Japan. there are some US headlines of this happening. The idea being that a well functioning civil service (soon to be the data-driven AI) do all the functioning tasks of society, and all that's left for the populace is to elect what they find as "cutest" cat etc. it's not too far off from the decadent Murican politics you're seeing now (unless you think of Brandon, or Trumpfuhrer as competent father figures...in which case you disagree with my take).
Scary stuff. But I do heed the political winds. Heavy lobbying money and campaign money provided by very serious societal 1% types is spent on the election personas you see on the telly, producing the crap outcomes we are seeing with our own eyes, in the present. The dystopia is real. Bad times ahead.
One of the most amazing blessings of living in Asia is that I don't have to see campaign adds on the telly. Seriously, it's a life saver. But yeah sure, it's like a concept I mentioned a few articles back, of "kayfabe." The political world right now is just a reality show with nobody really in charge of anything. Like banning gas stoves, as if that's really the most pressing problem we face right now... Or any kind of problem... We've spent more time talking about gas stoves in the last week than we've spent in the last five years talking about the tens of trillions in unfunded social security liabilities. OK.
I'm with you in that I expect that it's going to get worse before it gets better. Plan accordingly.
It seems to me that our overlords are driving the West towards a fully automated, entirely authoritarian future which delivers greater and greater material wealth - at least for the 1% (the rest of us appear destined to become serfs, living in a virtual reality pods). The million dollar question is how the people will react. If the Dutch farmer's protests are anything to go by, the answer is: not well. But pivoting away from the AI hellscape means giving up our dependency on material wealth, and finding wealth instead in other things, like relationships and work that gives satisfaction. Can we do it?
While I agree that our glorious and benevolent leaders are pushing us toward an authoritarian future, I would just add nuance to that argument by saying we're also driving *ourselves* in the tech/overlord direction. A billion people choose to use Facebook, to watch the cartoon network, to sign up for ChatGPT, whatever. One of humanity's greatest strengths/weaknesses is a relentless push towards the further technological-ification of everything.
I too wonder where this all ultimately ends up. We shall see.
Question becomes: how much automation can a society take? It's a bad time for humanity.
PUtting aside AI for the moment, humanity hasn't even managed to overcome the ruling elite (the 1%) via historical class struggle. Now the top of the feudal-caste-class pyramid has a new boss altogether: "the AI algo" followed by the erstwhile top ie. the 1% occupying a lower rung! Given that humanity hasn't even ever outdone the old landlord class, how can they overthrow an algo that produces outcomes in seconds, that beats grandmasters in Chess/Go/you-name-it ?!
Say you assume 90% of society becomes automated in the next 50 years: what becomes of money if it does not circulate? Open any intro macro economics text, in the very first chapter you will find "the circular flow diagram of money", guaranteed! Econ 101. Without circulation, money completely loses its value and meaning! Machines producing machines producing machines producing consumables! A completely bizarre macro economy devoid of humans, and devoid of human money circulation!
What is the need of governance in this scenario is a correct question raised by this post, but what becomes of the Wall Street Elite? Those leeches will not take to obsolescence quietly!
Prof Yusuke Narita tracks instances of "cats being elected mayor". They tried an experiment in Japan. there are some US headlines of this happening. The idea being that a well functioning civil service (soon to be the data-driven AI) do all the functioning tasks of society, and all that's left for the populace is to elect what they find as "cutest" cat etc. it's not too far off from the decadent Murican politics you're seeing now (unless you think of Brandon, or Trumpfuhrer as competent father figures...in which case you disagree with my take).
Also, Prof Narita has on many instances written about how Democracy is totally suboptimal: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2104.07617.pdf
Scary stuff. But I do heed the political winds. Heavy lobbying money and campaign money provided by very serious societal 1% types is spent on the election personas you see on the telly, producing the crap outcomes we are seeing with our own eyes, in the present. The dystopia is real. Bad times ahead.
One of the most amazing blessings of living in Asia is that I don't have to see campaign adds on the telly. Seriously, it's a life saver. But yeah sure, it's like a concept I mentioned a few articles back, of "kayfabe." The political world right now is just a reality show with nobody really in charge of anything. Like banning gas stoves, as if that's really the most pressing problem we face right now... Or any kind of problem... We've spent more time talking about gas stoves in the last week than we've spent in the last five years talking about the tens of trillions in unfunded social security liabilities. OK.
I'm with you in that I expect that it's going to get worse before it gets better. Plan accordingly.