Well, that certainly leaves me out of the job market, knowing absolutely nothing about electronics, programming, machine technology, or anything remotely connected with the upgraded technology.

Again Tux, historically that was true, but looking at the only type of jobs available now (and they aren't that plentiful), and looking at the spike in folk going on both welfare and disability (which you and me both know there can't be that many folk qualified for disability), folk are doing whatever it takes to survive. I mentioned elsewhere that the ability of folk to survive as incomes decrease doesn't end at $0. That was taught me by my economics professor in college. When we all live in a black market society, it will indeed get ugly though.

lylejk,
the disabled are considered less able then the general work force.
so if robots are better than most of us, then most of us will have to be considered disabled. except the few that are bright enough to make better robots at least until they make robots that fix/improve themselves.

Hey Tran; your story made Slashdot today. I shared it at other places too. The conundrum that your story makes is troubling since, before the information age, technology indeed multiplied work. The whole purpose of the information age is meant to reduce it. Now we are in the process of reaping that bounty (i.e., true unemployment). Yes, I work for a call center and believe it or not, even most of my responsibility's been replaced by automation, but it actually goes further. They are about to even replace the little that I do have to do and folk are quiting or getting canned at an alarming rate. Won't mention (can't) where I work but can say I do contract work so that in itself is bad since there are no true employers anymore.

yeah the story is getting popular, it's featured on theverge.com as well
just 2 days and that video is well over 1 millions views.

Yeah; currently I can virtually pack marbles faster then these bots can to create different objects, but that's today Odin; 20 years from now they will be doing this in micro-seconds and at a trillion bots (basically a living machine). Singularity is here (or soon will be) unless the power that be keeps it from happening.

I think the flaw in the video is that is doesn't seem to factor in demand. Free markets will always strike a balance. No one who is interested in making a profit is going to automate manufacturing or services to the point where there is no one left to purchase the goods and services.

If we are able to invent a Star Trek style replicator, then mundane, repetitive jobs will be obsolete and the human race can focus on more scientific, athletic, creative or spiritual endeavors.

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edit:

My words just got too political for this forum so taking it offline. There's an PM in your inbox Tux.

I remember automation being a paranoia of the seventies, then those car adverts came out where the factories were shown as fully automated. It has never happened though and I doubt it will ever happen. We would all need to have an equal income because nobody would be working and no government is going to put up with that! Personally I like the idea though - I'm afraid I'm not a workaholic and would rather have the leisure time to do the things I enjoy doing. To me, work is a sad necessity and not a desirable pursuit.

Well, there are two solutions:

Scenario 1: We all make war again. How it works, we can now see daily in the news. There are about 50 places in the world, where active war action is going on. Mostly with weapons made in the so called «First World» (North Americas and Europe, joined by Japan, Russia and China. If we can manage that about 2 billion of people can be active in fighting, we can also predict that the world population will be diminished inside 5 years by 1 billion. Logically in about 50 years the world will be outpopulated by 99%. For those, the question of jobs is then completely irrelevant.

Scenario 2: We get Dr Guillotin's Machine back and apply it's benefit to more or less all turbo-globalisation-prophets and followers in Universities, Enterprise, Health industry and Banking, especially including ALL weapon producing bonus eating weapon producing bosses. We will also not forget the race of «Politician», male or female, on all levels. Then we have a slight chance of recovering to a human and social world, without all personal extreem greed.