[Sirius Lee]

This is a problem with which society must come to grips. Humanity is entering a new paradigm the consequences of which are several orders of magnitude greater than the changes brought about by the industrial revolution and the computer revolution.

In a world in which almost every material good or service can be provided by automation, and the number of humans required to keep the automatons operational keeps dwindling, what purpose/need is there for the vast preponderance of humanity?

I fear we are trending more Player Piano or Wall E than Star Trek.

[HartleyMBaldwin]

I’d like it if significant numbers of humans were able to live off Earth, whether in orbital habitats or on other planets and moons. It seems to me that the increased productivity and labor supply of robots should make this more feasible in the future. People (not all, but many) need something to do and somewhere to go.