If we all lived in a world where robots and AI made many jobs unnecessary, then if at the same time we do not watch our population growth, we may have many people who never have jobs from birth to grave. It would be a new way of living for all of us. it may cause violence out of fear how to survive. We should give it thought now.
Our priorities may shift, without the burdens of "work" would we be more inclined to worry about the environment, peace, and other lofty goals?
Is it the struggle to survive that causes us to get frustrated, angry, and forget our ideals at times?
Or without a job to perform, would many of us get restless and upset,and "do something about it" and revolt?
I don't know.
I have thought about some of the scientists of old, like Newton. Not only did he question the nature of many things ,we must remember he had the time, money, resources to do so. He was not poor and destitute. He was born in a wealthy family. All that meant is he had free time to ponder such things as nature of gravity and light. He had access to education. He was free to think about what he wanted when he wanted. He was not under pressure to produce massive results for a profit. He was able to let his creativity flow. How many a smart person has been derailed from their true dreams because they didn't have the chance to pursue it because they had to make $ to survive?
If the world could come together, and if we had lots of AI that was our faithful companion which respected us, and us them (golden rule), then maybe we all could relax more, and an agreed upon universal system could exist to make it possible for all of us to have a basic income. Saying that if we all didn't have to work super hard to be able to just survive, then we may not be so inclined to be hot under the collar when people talk about using "others money" for "someone else". If money was not the driving factor in life, it would be less important to us, and make it more likely to give it to charity or a universal system?
Not anything extravagant, just a shot at having adequate food, water, air, shelter, protection, representation, education. It would be nice to know, that no matter how bad things got, that you could drop back to the basic level, until you could get back up on all paws and start running again. Regardless of age, race, anything at all. And if you started out in the universal income system you could find a way to work and get more if you wanted it.
It would almost make the country like a big family, with very nice parents.
Just think, you try hard, you do well, pay into the system. Then one day, you injure your back and can't work for 2 years. At that time, you live on the guaranteed base income system. All you would have to worry about is getting well, and getting back to work. Without the other burdens, you have no excuse not to get back to work. With an environment like that to grow up in, you might be happy to put into the system!
Hypothetical.
As it is now, you get injured, lose work time, lose money, insurance covers only so much, go into debt, get bad credit. Hard to get a job with bad credit, hard to get housing. Time out of work on a resume looks bad to some employers. The stress slows down the healing process. You re-injure the back because you couldn't afford time off to let it heal.
Hypothetical
You injure your back, employer understands, normal system of short term disability kicks in, then maybe long term disability. Then after that, the basic income system. You live off of that until you get well. Then go back to work. Employers understand why the resume has a break in it an are willing to hire you again. You never went into extreme debt, never had to stress out about food, rent, water bill, etc.. Never had to turn to a life of crime to support yourself and family. And your children see this all unfold and understand that no matter how bad it gets, the country and its great citizens will be there to lend a helping paw. And this lack of stress will maybe mold their minds into a peaceful one, one willing to lend a paw too. we become more family like. How many families are ruined because of money stress? How many kids/adults act out in violence because of stress and fear of what the world will hold for them in uncertain times?
And of course for the permanently disabled for which there will always be a percentage of our population, why not take care of them? It could be any of us at any time? It would say a a lot about us as a group if we could do something like that. I know we have some programs to do this, but it could be better.
Yes, there will always be some who refuse to work, contribute, be more, when they very well could be doing so. But also, without the pressure to HAVE to work, maybe they could feel free to choose whatever they wanted to do to make any amount of money, little or big. This may allow them to be more creative and free, more productive and original.
And it could help the underpaid.
Teachers get paid too little in my opinion. If we all got a base income that was sufficient, then those who love to work,but who are underpaid, could survive better doing what they are passionate about.
So if AI starts replacing people, can we engineer a system NOW that can help to shape our society into one where we transition those who are displaced into new jobs? And as AI starts making it more and more likely that we don't need to work to survive, can we start designing into our society the guaranteed income system? Then we all breathe easier?
I know most of my problems are caused by stress, and that stress for the most part comes from the ever looming question of how will I survive?
Just knowing that there is a safety net for all of us, regardless of age, race, sexual orientation political affiliation, anything at all, would go a long way towards making me happier and dare I say more peaceful?
I know I may have been overly optimistic, but I wanted to dream for a little.
So if we can deal with the transition to more AI, perhaps the future is a better one?
Thoughts?