Will The Concept of Jobs Be Obsolete In The Future?

in #technology7 years ago

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One of the perks of being an intelligent species is that we can take the matter of evolution in our own hands. Both biological and of our civilisation. While the biological one is still in the future, the evolution of our civilisation has been happening for a long time now.

From hunters and gatherers to the modern humans, our journey has been a long one and it has entailed countless evolutions of all the different aspects of our civilisation like, societal, economic, political, technological and so on.

Perhaps technological advancement has had the most profound and wide reaching impact on our species, catalysing major shifts just in the last few centuries alone, so much so that someone from 100 years ago, wouldn’t even recognise today’s world.

Well, it seems like we are on the cusp of yet another major shift as we begin to traverse deeper into the 21st century. And this one is about how we work. This shift in particular has always been happening, but this time, it might make it obsolete altogether.

Will Jobs Become Obsolete?

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Every individual is a part of the society and contributes to it in some form or the other, making a living in the process. The concept of the ‘modern job’ is not more than a few centuries old and it looks like it is already on its way to obsolescence.

We are already living in a world where driverless cars are a reality, robots are manufacturing our products and drones are even beginning to deliver some of those products at our doorstep.

With the advent of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and the gradual advancements of robotics, we are quickly moving towards a world, where our jobs would be competed for not only by other humans, but by robots and even computer software.

The loss of jobs due to automation has already become a big enough problem for the world leaders to become concerned about and devise ways to deal with their impact and to adapt to this change.

Rest assured, there is no stopping this as technology only moves in one direction and that is forward. As these systems become more advanced, they will mean more loss of jobs across more areas of work.

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Right now, mostly blue collar jobs are being affected but slowly, white collar jobs will start getting affected as well. In fact, lawyers, doctors, accountants, analysts, teachers and even politicians will get replaced by machines.

Some people had suggested that at least people with professions that deal with creative stuff like painting, music composing, writing and so on will be safe but they were wrong. Computers are getting better at the creative part too that was once thought to be unique to us humans.

So, the question asks itself, what will we do? If a major portion of the population becomes unemployed, wouldn’t that destroy the current socio-economic landscape? Wouldn’t that cause chaos throughout the world?

Well, this is what worries the smartest minds of the world, which is why ideas like UBI (Universal Basic Income) have been suggested where the citizens of a country will be paid a regular some of money for being a citizen basically. This will be enough to meet their basic needs.

Cryptocurrencies are another area which might be helpful in such a reality. People could mine their own money, or earn it on sites like Steemit or maybe something entirely new will open up! In any case, we might actually be looking at a future where jobs are no more!

A Transformation Like None Before

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This raises a lot of questions. If we are not doing any work, and if our basic needs are met by the government or whatever other way that could be developed by then, what would be the point of humanity to exist?

It’s no doubt that AI is being touted as the ultimate invention that will take care of everything else after a certain point. But what does an intelligent species do after that? It would certainly bring forth an existential crisis.

I guess, humanity will need to come up with entirely new pursuits to give meaning to our existence. We can’t see the future and therefore we don’t know how this will unfold, so maybe along the way, there are new developments that ensure that we are kept ‘useful’.

And I think that will indeed be the case or else we are looking at a super utopian world where you just exist! I am not even sure if such a world would be a utopian world or a dystopian one. Maybe we’ll find out one day.

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I think the biggest shift will occur when the robot species starts to manage the human species instead of the other way around...

Meanwhile...there has already begun a major disruption in work force skills that gets masked by people earning and living on less or safety net programs...the world has been in a funk for a while...a lot of it has to do with educational skills not keeping up with the technological job advantages...

The countries that emphasize that type of education or parents who have children with the intelligence to go into those fields tend to do very well financially...Meanwhile the rest of us try and scramble for whatever service sector jobs are available...or even less efficient for economy...the government sector jobs that have sky rocketed over the years...

Based on my very limited knowledge of evolution...would seem to me...that survival of the fittest would lead to different gene pools of higher "intelligent" beings that are better able to absorb the changing scientific progression...

I truly believe that young people today have a much different brain capacity to work with a "video" based...non stop informational world compared to my generation...

In fact...having been introduced first hand to the world of someone close to me "on the spectrum"...I think a lot of the explosion in that area is direct result of gene pool changes to handle this new millennial...

Please note...I could be totally off base...just thowing out an opinion from my old pea brain...as well...I am saddened to see the evolution of human kind seems to be leading to human roboids and not beings...the art of pondering is lost and other than self help groups or funerals...humans are less able to show emotions...

So for me its less about the end of jobs but more the end of humanity as I thought it should be...

I thank you greatly for the topic and well thought out article...thank you for a forum to allow all this to spill out as its obviously something I wrestle with...

That's a very good point you make and I totally agree with you on every single thing you say!! I hadn't even thought about this until I was reading your comment. Thanks for this wonderful insight. Greatly appreciated :)

Appreciate the kind thoughts...

Like an 1984 situation, but with more robots?

there are some dark aspects to all of this and the rate it is at, it is getting to be frightening

Yes...things can grow slowly for years then hit a tippping point where growth becomes exponential...

The point of humanity to exist would be to experience life and find new ventures for mankind.

I personally think that things don't really just boil down to having a job. There are many other things in life that can help an individual to progress and help society as a whole.

Much love for the great article

I work in the IT sector, n I can the change comin. Automation is takin over

If order for people to not have jobs it will really take a change in human consciousness. If you suddenly take the McDonalds fry cooks job away it doesn't mean they'll suddenly start contributing. It could go good or really bad. It could also give government almost total control over the entire population = a very scary proposition.

So it would be very similar to "Star Trek"? ;)

Yes, exactly, new ventures would be needed for mankind without which there would be no point. You are right, things don't really boil down to having a job but in a world, where every single thing is done for you, the question arises what we will do. Hopefully we develop some human-only ventures to keep ourselves occupied.

Of course it would. Self-sustaining communities are our only solution. System where money is on first place produces what we call job or profession. That woudn't exist in that way like today in self-sustaining community.

Self-sustaining communities are our only solution

And when two children are born at the sametime, and the "Self Sustaining community" can only support one more mouth to feed, who dies? I have seen too many Sci-Fi movies of "Utopia" to know it is only Utopia for the few, same with self sustaining communities.

Yes, obviously you saw to many propaganda movies that tell bullshit story that we can't live in peace and prosperety. Truth is opposite. Your imagination of self sustaining communities is distorted.

Your imagination of self sustaining communities is distorted.

I guess it depends on a person's view of self sustaining community.
My view/definition of: sustaining community:
They need nothing from outside of their community. They make, build, grow, and produce everything they need in order to survive.

I just do not see that ever happening. We do not need self serving self sustained communities. What we need is a self sustaining planet.

I totally agree with you. Meaning of phrase 'Self sustaining' is different for everyone of course. What I mean by that is in beggining at least few communities that are close to self-sustaining. Then they can trade food or whatever. More of those communities, the more we gonna be free. In the end self sustaining planet.

Yeah, self-sustaining communities world wide seems like a viable direction humanity can go.

In fact, there already are jobs where human being is not need anymore or is less needed. For example cashiers in shops. Stores service is being replaced by self services. And this system works very well for me as customer. Queues are smaller and service is faster.. 10 years ago I couldn't even imagine that it is possible.. Nowadays I use it every day.

I didn't belive in self-driving taxis last year.. today it is on testing already..

World is changing very fast..

Yeah, the jobless due to automation has already started and this trend is only going to expand in the future.

@sauravrungta - An intriguing question indeed. I believe, at least initially, there will be widespread chaos because the people who invent and execute automation will derive maximum benefits of savings from automation. They will not care how many jobs are lost as long as they keep getting richer. As you point out, many jobs will get lost in all sorts of categories. However, after passage of some time, as widespread unemployment becomes a global phenomenon, the buying power will drastically reduce everywhere. This will create a situation where there will be drastic reduction in the demand for products of those automated empires and they will start declining too. At this point, if a concept for 'communal creation and sharing' evolves (like our ancestors - who used to hunt and gather together and the whole tribe was taken care of) then, people will have 'duties' for the communities and not jobs. There will be no payment involved but basic needs and sustenance of society members will be taken care of by the whole community. Starts sounding like communism at this point doesn't it? Well - I guess we are destined to have such cycles of society models. What do you feel?

Man - you write profound blogs. They make me use the old noodle brain a bit. By comparison, my blogs must look very simplistic! I request you to take a look and provide feedback if possible whenever you have time. Thanks

Regards,
vm2904

I believe, at least initially, there will be widespread chaos because...

It is not that some instant, all at once "widespread automation" will be thrown at the society on some given day, by some rich evil dude.... In reality, these things are coming in gradually and the very fact of this post gaining such high popularity tells us that our society is in a state of full awareness and readiness to address possible negative effects of technological innovations. But I guess, from another hand, entertaining the extreme, doomsday like scenarios, is probably as important part of the process.

Yes, it will be gradual and the chaos will be too. When it becomes too much and hits a critical point, then things will crumble.

I find it ironic how the corporations use automation to derive more profits but by putting the population out of work, it would ultimately mean lower profits! What goes around, comes around! I think we will shift towards a world where everything is done for us and the concept of "class" is no more. It might be wishful thinking but it's how I think right now. We may have a world where, as you say, we have duties rather than jobs which only a human can perform. Who knows what kind of a crazy world it would be a 100 years down the line.

BTW, you have a great blog yourself. Those photos are amazing :D

Well - I guess in our generation we will certainly continue the chaotic development of automation. Perhaps our grand children will live in a world with duties and not jobs.
Thanks for your kind words of appreciation of my photos. I usually also pen down a few thoughts that the photos prompt. I request you to take a look once in a while. Thanks

I do not mind stop working today as long as some robot will do it for me and make money for me

first transform this politicians

I always wonder if everything becomes automated and companies get rid of employees how will they survive if they have an unemployed population with no income to buy thier products.

Exactly! What goes around comes around. It is ironic that they will automate things to derive more profits but with an unemployed population, those profits will end up being non-existant!

This is really true,the world is moving at a very fast rate which we cannot stop.

The old way of doing things no longer works in the 21st century.
It is absurd we have many people who still believe in the old way of

Study hard,get a degree and get a job!

Things have shifted at a way we cannot imagine.
The emergence of A.I has and will make the already few jobs obsolete.

As you suggested of some countries adopting a Universal Basic Income,this will not even help.
People need to adjust and find new ways of working.

At the moment Steemit is a blessing and more people should embrace it.

For the first time ever people can utilize a greater percentage of their minds probably more than 30% of brain power because of Steemit.

Let us continue mining Steemit with our minds and discover the hidden potential we have in us.

Steemit is the future.

Yeah, believe it or not, the "Study hard,get a degree and get a job!" is still the go to status quo among humans today!

A great read with well placed words. Although, I do not think that this is a real threat, at least for now. For example, trains run on tracks and a big part of them operate automatically, yet every train has a driver, because machines will always need a human interference at some point. So maybe this will eliminate some jobs, but at the same time create new ones, where we become the watchers and supervisors for the machines?

"So maybe this will eliminate some jobs, but at the same time create new ones" This statement was true about a few decades ago but now, it no longer is. You see, computers equipped with AI will be sooooo smart that they would be self sustaining in a way. No humans required whatsoever!