undefined | Better HN

0 pointssimonh2y ago0 comments

Exactly, we’ve been automating the living crap out of almost everything for hundreds of years, but employment has never been higher. Automation leads to higher productivity, cheaper goods and services, increased need for technical skills, thus higher wages and higher demand.

Of course there can be some painful periods of adjustment, but that’s often caused by misguided policy trying to hold back the tide and delay the inevitable.

Ultimately yes, full no holds barred human level AI may well render human labour obsolete, but we’re a very long way away from that.

I know some people think LLMs are close to that already, but no, not even remotely close. I do believe strong AI is possible and maybe even inevitable. They’re a huge step forward, and are easily the biggest advance towards strong AI in my lifetime, but these things are just tools.

0 comments

avereveard2y ago

We have been automating at the beginning of the production chain , mostly.

This is the first automation that targets directly knowledge workers, and hit almost all of them but those in profession where error can cause people deaths.

Traditionally knowledge workers were the bulk of the middle class, because well it takes 30 years to produce one and not all make the cut, so they are paid market prices instead of minimum wages.

And by that nature, knowledge workers cannot reinvent themselves overnight, there will nowhere left to go for them.

Maybe lawyers and medics and a few other can entrenche themselves with legislation, but if you are a knowledge worker in a non union field things look scary.

simonhOP2y ago

> This is the first automation that targets directly knowledge workers

You really don’t think computers, software and telecommunications services have boosted the productivity of knowledge workers?

avereveard2y ago

These were automation tools for the knowledge worker, this is an automation tool of the knowledge worker.

1 more reply

cpeterso2y ago

Automation meaning replacement of the knowledge workers.

qualudeheart2y ago

You will have somewhere to go. You can become a rich person’s serf and they give you food and an allowance and a place to live. It’s like childhood.

8769780957897892y ago

> You can become a rich person’s serf and they give you food and an allowance and a place to live

This, except I'm not sure they're going to actually deliver on the food, allowance, and place to live parts.

tekknik2y ago

> painful periods of adjustment

sure like hunger, losing houses, unable to have kids or send them to decent schools or schools at all. but totally worth it right?

simonhOP2y ago

I certainly won’t claim that capitalism is immune from abuses or failures. It’s undeniable that it has its failures. But criticising its failures is one thing, while criticising it as a failure is another. To make the latter claim credibly you’d need to argue for a better alternative that either further minimises or eliminates the flaws. What is it?

tekknik2y ago

I’m all for capitalism. What Im tired of is tech workers, of which I am one, automating people’s jobs away.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 pointssimonh2y ago0 comments

Of course there can be some painful periods of adjustment, but that’s often caused by misguided policy trying to hold back the tide and delay the inevitable.

Ultimately yes, full no holds barred human level AI may well render human labour obsolete, but we’re a very long way away from that.

0 comments

avereveard2y ago

We have been automating at the beginning of the production chain , mostly.

This is the first automation that targets directly knowledge workers, and hit almost all of them but those in profession where error can cause people deaths.

Traditionally knowledge workers were the bulk of the middle class, because well it takes 30 years to produce one and not all make the cut, so they are paid market prices instead of minimum wages.

And by that nature, knowledge workers cannot reinvent themselves overnight, there will nowhere left to go for them.

Maybe lawyers and medics and a few other can entrenche themselves with legislation, but if you are a knowledge worker in a non union field things look scary.

simonhOP2y ago

> This is the first automation that targets directly knowledge workers

You really don’t think computers, software and telecommunications services have boosted the productivity of knowledge workers?

avereveard2y ago

These were automation tools for the knowledge worker, this is an automation tool of the knowledge worker.

1 more reply

cpeterso2y ago

Automation meaning replacement of the knowledge workers.

qualudeheart2y ago

You will have somewhere to go. You can become a rich person’s serf and they give you food and an allowance and a place to live. It’s like childhood.

8769780957897892y ago

> You can become a rich person’s serf and they give you food and an allowance and a place to live

This, except I'm not sure they're going to actually deliver on the food, allowance, and place to live parts.

tekknik2y ago

> painful periods of adjustment

sure like hunger, losing houses, unable to have kids or send them to decent schools or schools at all. but totally worth it right?

simonhOP2y ago

tekknik2y ago

I’m all for capitalism. What Im tired of is tech workers, of which I am one, automating people’s jobs away.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse