Rise of the machines. Boston Dynamics robot does a gymnastics 🤸♂️ routine.
2) I too share a lot of concerns about the robots, not because I dislike technology, but I worry about the enormous power that political leaders could have to crack down on dissent using a “robocop” police force or army, and the subjective nature of how robots programmed.
3) We must be vigilant to avoid any future with a “Skynet” apocalypse(from Terminator) or even to avoid a milder form of robot police state controlled by a few unethical human powers. If you think police Dept are sometimes inhumane now... just u wait.
4) But I think there can be a benevolent co-existence and symbiotic relationship between man and machine, as seen by Data in Star Trek universe. This is much preferred obviously - but can we get there without going thru a dangerous robot police state?
5) I also want to point out that we should avoid the Wall-E future where humans are too over reliant on technology that we become flat blobs. It must be a good co-existence. Not a replacement.
6) A “neural lace” interface between humans and computers is a good next step for humans to better integrate with computers. Or else within decades, humans will be the equivalent of a slow abacus 🧮 compare to the supercomputer and quantum computers of the next generation.
7) In the meantime, all I want is my hoverboard and Marty McFly lace up shoes. And my kid not to live in a authoritarian robo police state.
8) And the risk of job replacement is also worry. Our society is computerized much faster than our workforce can adapt. We need a tech transition tax on robotic heavy industries. And need for a UBI ‘Freedom dividend’ espoused by @AndrewYang. This will help soften the transition.
9) Because we cannot retrain our age 50+ workforce for the new technology tsunami that is coming. I spend a lot of my time trying to see around the corner socially and politically, and I don’t see a calm future unless we stabilize our poverty/working class during tech transition.
10) And that is why UBI is needed. And why tech transition tax is needed so that the gains of all the automated technology can benefit the blue collar and even white collar jobs it replaces. Or else mass job displacement by automation will be the end of so many communities.
11) during the coronavirus epidemic, most jobs lost are indeed working class jobs, and lower income populations have been hit hardest. When economy rebounds after pandemic ends someday, expect many jobs will be replaced by automation (lower virus risk they will say to justify).
12) The coronavirus pandemic has in fact accelerated timeline of automation driven economy even more. Meat 🥩 packing plants too risky? Automate. Uber rides with drive too risky? Automate. Waiters/bartenders too risky? Automate. ➡️ That will be one of the economic outcomes sadly.
13) Can we stop it? Unclear, I’m doubtful. Can we slow it? Yes, with automation-transition-tax to tax every company using excessive automation, so as it soften the blow to jobs displaced. For factory workers, for Uber drivers, for countless other jobs lost to technology.
14) Final word on TRUCK DRIVERS - it’s one of the last stable blue collar jobs of rural America given how many factories have closed. I grew up in rural PA. But truckers are now at risk of being replaced - and cause greater economic upheaval & exacerbate resentment in rural 🇺🇸...
15) Cuz there are 3.5 million truckers and 8.7 mill employed by trucking industry. Thus, if we want to avoid even greater division between urban areas vs rural communities, we have to tackle this looming rural collapse of displaced truckers. Or else rural/urban strife will grow.
16) Bottomline, we need to be careful of how automation changes society. Not just in terms of preventing robocop authoritarian police states, but also in how in affects our economy during the post Covid era when jobs are replaced. And we need to brace for the rough transition.
