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Comment by tarr11 | Hacker News Reader

How is AI any different from other technology improvement such as electricity, automation, personal computers, steam engines, or the cotton gin?

All of them destroyed some jobs, and created new ones.

Are you sure that the impact of this one thing will be larger than other events, such as climate change, space travel, video games or war?

The only thing that is likely from AI of is perhaps increased productivity, which, on its own, will not create chaos. And, we have had several false starts in the past on that with AI, so even that is unclear.

My suggestion is to continue living your life in the best way you think possible.

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Why is this time different?

CGP Grey explains it best in "Humans Need Not Apply": https://youtu.be/7Pq-S557XQU

Unequal distribution of gains.

That is the primary difference. If a founder creates a technology from Singapore and sells it worldwide it can replace millions of workers without those workers or their countries seeing any gain, relative or otherwise.

A secondary difference is that it may fully obsolete some humans, just as cars fully obsoleted horse drawn carriages. In the past, farmers could move to factories, but once robots are able to understand simple commands and enact them with human-like limbs at a all-in cost lower than minimum wage, then a good part of human society becomes unable to earn a living. Sure, some things only humans can do (those that require a belief that the job must be done by a human: therapist, tour guide, politician, etc) but it doesn't seem especially likely that this will absorb the billions of low-skill workers.

These reasons would apply to the cotton gin as well.

cotton gin didn't replace dr's, lawyers, teachers, truck drivers, surgeons, taxi drivers, delivery drivers, writers (many news agencies already use AI to write articles) customer service / tech support, and even coders (there's a project to teach AI to code). The end goal of ai/automation is a society where nobody has to work at all but can live like kings because the robots take care of everyone..

The real question then becomes one of what will the masses do? Hedonism is a short trip, next sets in boredom. What we need is scientists and explorers in space. Ultimately, a risky adventure. That takes even more science in areas that are much more undeveloped than AI: psychology, sociology, science-based politics and definitely biotech (which is on the cusp of important breakthroughs ) and space travel. (Elon Musk plan in essence)

The meantime would require a massive shift in thinking of elites from greed to charity and cooperation.

> what will the masses do?

Doing all the things that fall outside the realm of economy: - Caring for their children and elderly relatives. - Pursuing artistic and scientific endeavors. - Volunteering in their local community.

All of this would certainly keep me busy. I honestly don't know if this reasoning applies to 100% of people; that's a hard prediction.

> How is AI any different from other technology improvement such as electricity, automation, personal computers, steam engines, or the cotton gin?

Because all new created jobs will be automated a few (days|weeks|months|years) later. At least that's what i hope for.

Those things also created massive waves of unemployment that took multiple generations to adapt to, so no difference is needed.

Furthermore, there is considerable worry that the waves of innovation are accelerating and our social/educational models will need to change massively to keep up with the pace, otherwise the waves of innovation will occur faster than we adapt to them.

> How is AI any different from other technology improvement such as electricity, automation, personal computers, steam engines, or the cotton gin?

The same way Anti-biotics are different than Leeches.

Just because there is any connection between two things does not mean they are equal.

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