nothing fearful in it, and plenty of historical fact. As I said, technology is a force multiplier, that’s simple history, it allows us to get more stuff done with fewer people. The key from the industrial revolution to now is that we’ve been in a position to focus on the more stuff, we’ve dramatically upped the standard of living in our culture because there always seems to be more stuff TO do so there’s something for the displaced people.
But it doesn’t have to be that way, the current wave of technology seems to be focusing on the fewer people. Just look at how it’s already going. We now have strip mining operations that are totally automated, all the machines are running themselves with a small number of human “supervisors” watching from an airport like control tower. Factory farms run similarly, machines do a lot of work providing tons of food to the masses with very few people having to do anything. Cargo ships used to have huge crews, now they autopilot around the world with a couple of people on them who do pretty much nothing except be there to witness if pirates steal something and fill out paperwork on both ends.
3D printers are well on their way to making clothing. Look at how much retail space we dedicate to clothing, think about the supply chain that feeds that beast. What happens to all that when the average American has a printer in their house that will make today’s clothing for us while we’re in the shower?
And remember a situation where we simply don’t need most people to have a job isn’t necessarily worse off. It’s just a different kind of better. All basic needs (which will be a higher standard of living than what we currently call basic needs) will be able to be available with a very small percentage of the population having jobs. It’ll require a serious sea change in our thought process, but this is the future that’s smelling a lot closer than it used to.
No, historical fact is that technological advances has never contracted the economy or created fewer opportunities, but has always expanded the economy and opportunities, not to mention befitting the consumer by driving prices lower.
Some examples of what’s being ignored are, somebody has to design, build, and sell these machines. Somebody has to design, build and sell the components. Somebody also has to maintain these automated entities. Entire new supply chains are created and derivative supply chains up and down as well as new markets are created.