Robots are Taking Our Jobs, and That is a Good Thing
from The Daily Bell:
Robots are going to take all our jobs, and it doesn’t matter. We should actually be thrilled about the prospects of automation, because it means freeing up economic resources, including arguably the most valuable resource, time.
One analysis says as many as 38% of U.S. jobs could be automated by the 2030’s, and another puts the number at 47% by 2033. As always, many worry about what effect the loss of jobs will have on the economy.
But lately, as technology has become more sophisticated, the drumbeat of worry has intensified. “What’s different now?” asked Leigh Watson Healy, chief analyst at market research firm Outsell. “The pace of technology advancements plus the big data phenomenon lead to a whole new level of machines to perform higher level cognitive tasks.” Translated: the old formula of creating more demanding jobs that need advanced training may no longer hold true. The number of people needed to oversee the machines, and to create them, is limited. Where do the many whose occupations have become obsolete go?
“I don’t think we have a good handle on this,” said MIT researcher Matt Beane. “The end game scenarios seem kind of severe. From here on in, it’s really, really, really going to change and it’s going to change faster than we can handle.”
But economics hasn’t changed because technology has advanced. Labor won’t go away, it will just move around. There is of course a human element to this; for certain individuals it may be difficult to find a new job, or learn different skills required for employment.
But why would you want to work in a redundant industry anyway? Should candle makers have boycotted light bulbs because they lost their jobs?
As Henry Ford (might have) said: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”
I think people should take pride in their work, and always be striving to maximize the use of their time. Think of the possibilities of a Modern Renaissance.
