Automation is an issue that sometimes feels like it is more encompassing to me than it actually is. Of course, technology has dramatically shifted the way we live and interact with the world over the last 25 years, but it not as if people have stopped seeking jobs or developing skills for fear of an imminent robot takeover. Yes, some jobs like travel agents have suffered from online, automated competition, but we still largely interact with human laborers for many of the services that have driven our economy for the last 3 decades. There is no denying that machines have driven cheap manufacturing jobs out of towns like Youngstown, Ohio, but it is hard to say whether the exact same thing will happen as computers continue to mature.
Perhaps one of the most visible areas of my life where automation seems to be approaching is in rides. Without a doubt, Uber has been the app that has most noticeably changed how I go about my day-to-day life. Instead of ever worrying about calling a cab or relying on a sober friend for a night out, I know I can call on my trust friend Uber. This form of “On-Demand” services is sure to continue to grow, and for the time being it seems to be garnering income for individuals that would not have. Uber drivers are able to generate supplementary income, and services like Postmates influence users to buy goods they may have lacked the motivation to purchase in the past.
Clearly the Luddites were not correct about technology and jobs in their day and age, nor for next two centuries following. I do feel there was some legitimacy to what they were doing and their cries certainly are worth listening to, but I’m not convinced the pace of technological development can ultimately be stopped in cases where it truly provides better service and efficiency. An examination of the unique benefits human labor can provide should always exist, but I do not think it’s likely we will throttle technology.
At the moment, universal basic income seems to be nothing more than an experimental idea that would face so much opposition in the political arena it would have to be clearly necessary to pass. If automation did eventually become such a problem that universal basic income where necessary to support the masses, then the level of income would have to be such that it only provides for the basics of life. I do seriously worry about a generation only compelled to lounge around the house and collect their government stipends. Since the country’s inception, Americans have been driven to reach higher and improve their quality of life through innovation. I could see certain scenarios where this standard of living exists for a minority subpopulation, but I do have faith in most Americans to reject the idea that the machines are our maids and we cannot be bothered to think critically and serve others.
timpusaterisite 