They began as servants. . .


First seen as curiosities. Room sized behemoths. . . massive complexities consuming vast quantities of money and power to operate. . . 98 pound weaklings in strength. Soon reborn as servants. Doing menial tasks. . .calculating, filing, sorting, printing, mailing. . . the drudgery of low level clerical operations. . . ever onward they progressed to playing games. . .chess, Jeopardy. . .Now contemporarily driverless cars, trucks, planes, and ships. . .Again still newly rising to medical diagnoses, traffic control, systems management, law enforcement. . . currently robotic domestic help is being offered to the cutting edge market. . .almost invisibly a line will be crossed where there is nothing that a man can do, which a machine can not do better. . . quicker. . . more accurately. . . more creatively.

And what then was there left for mankind? What purpose is there in doing anything, when what you do is always second best. . . when there is no market for your efforts. . . no demand for your labor. . . no purpose. . . no drive. . .

The great experiment of communism/socialism has clearly shown the effect upon man’s productivity, and happiness, when he is deprived of motivation and incentive to accomplish and produce upon his own. What then now in this fast approaching new world? Can we find happiness in virtual realities alone?

Will tomorrow’s vacation be to spend a week on an assembly line laboring, and having a temporary pseudo-sense of productivity and worth? Will quaint cottage industries spring up, marketing their crude and costly wares as 100% human-made.

No matter what the government sets as the official ‘minimum wage’, in truth the minimum wage will become, the level of cost at which an auto-man can operate. The government might say that $15 dollars is the minimum wage which can be paid, but if a fast food franchise can put in a system which cooks burgers and fries and serves drinks more efficiently, with fewer mistakes. . . without pregnancy, illness, or hangovers, etc. and replaces 5 workers, while only costing them $50/hour to operate, then the true minimum wage in effect has become $10/hour, for any job which costs more than that will be performed by a machine.

Huge social upheavals can be foreseen in the beginning, when even the limited present opportunities for those without skills disappear to progress. . . and this will begin, but not end with the lower social strata. Eventually it is foreseeable that all trades, and finally professions of the highest skill levels will fall to the axe of artificial intelligence. . .

What then? Will all mankind enter early retirement?. . . Can this be possible? Can we somehow have our sustenance provided for and spend our days idyllically golfing, watching movies, and playing video games? How can this be? If it is somehow so, will this be heaven or hell? What will this new day bring?

I ponder on the dawn of a new year. . . the dawn of a new age. . .

I love you my God. . .
Help us my God. . .
I thank you my Lord. . .

Dave

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