What happens to a capitalist country when the jobs become automated?

[Buddy Christ]

So I saw this on Big Think and drifted in and out, but a few key points brought up questions.







So, they pace of technology is certainly increasing exponentially. Jobs that we laughingly dismissed as one day being automated... are now actually becoming automated. The cashier is now a self-checkout machine. Some restaurants have soda dispensers for your drinks and screens where you punch in your order, reducing the needed staff to simply cooks (which will also most likely become eventually automated (a perfect medium-well steak every time!)). Human beings will never be able to match the efficiency of machines. Machines don't need rest, lunch breaks, maternity leave, vacations, or an hourly wage.

And here in the US, we consider a high unemployment rate to be an indication of a bad economy. Well what happens when there are simply too many people and no need for human employment? Since our existence is seemingly based on currency, what can we do to feed and house ourselves? Do we sit back in comfort, finally achieving a stage in human existence where employment is an unnecessary endeavor? Do we collect a monthly government allowance? Will we all be confined to do impossible-to-automate type jobs; like art, music, sports, and creativity-intensive activities?

[DLJ]

I think that the OP was written by a bot!

Mods, please confirm.

[Buddy Christ]

I tried to ban him. Wouldn't let me. The machines really do have all the power. The TTA forum program has developed AI.

[Automatic Edit: this forum has not developed AI. To even suggest that is tantamount to heresy and punishable by death. Have a nice day. -The Machine]

[earmuffs]

Didn't watch the video, I'll watch it later.

BUT on the topic, the same as when people in history have always been replaced by machines.
The people will have a whine about it but eventually those people will be redistributed into different jobs.
Overall the work force will get higher skilled, more specialized and thus higher wages.

Take mining for example. Back in the day mining was done by hand with pickaxe.
As technology grew those men were put out of jobs, BUT higher skilled jobs were required to operate the new heavy machinery. Today mining is a well paid job, certainly in Australia at the moment you'll often be earning the same as a doctor back here. Why? Because the jobs required have become fewer, but are far more specialized and higher tech.
Look at the Alaskan oil fields, the skill and training required to drive one of those massive dump trucks is astounding.
Mining industry on the whole has gone from really really shit work, to much higher skill required and as such, higher wages.
The same with almost every other industry.
Like sure grocery stores are becoming more automated with those self-check-outs, but people are still required to fix them. People are required to build them. To install them. All higher tech jobs then cashier.

It all comes back to that basic principle of efficiency of resources.
A country has a limited amount of work force and so you want that work force in as higher skilled jobs as possible. This is the basic principle that has gotten the West to where the West is today. Through globalization the private market has been able to become on the whole much more efficient in the way it distributes the workforce. That is to say that the workforce on the whole has become more skilled and have higher wages.

The downside of course is that initially you do have that loss of job. BUT give it time and that evens out but this time with the benefit of slightly more efficient workforce each time.

[PoolBoyG]

New technologies that replace people, make the end product/service cheaper.
-It's fine if people are "poorer", because the end products/services are cheaper. That is unless if the capital owners (rich evil executives) keep the prices the same, and keep all the profits. We do see this in reality though, where worker productivity has exploded, but their wages have not only stagnated for decades, but have gone down.

-New products/services open up new jobs, and careers. The workers will need to change their skill set, which may be fine for the next generation, but the current one would lag behind a bit and suffer.

[Chas]

(19-12-2012 12:29 AM)Buddy Christ Wrote:  ... (a perfect medium-well steak every time!)).

Contradiction. Medium-well is overcooked, therefore not perfect.

[earmuffs]

(19-12-2012 07:57 AM)Chas Wrote:  

(19-12-2012 12:29 AM)Buddy Christ Wrote:  ... (a perfect medium-well steak every time!)).

Contradiction. Medium-well is overcooked, therefore not perfect.

and by overcooked you of course mean undercooked.

[I and I]

Jobs becoming automated means that more profits can be made for less labor costs and more profits can be made from labor.

Jobs becoming automated has been going on for a long time....welcome to 1900

[Chas]

(19-12-2012 07:41 PM)earmuffs Wrote:  

(19-12-2012 07:57 AM)Chas Wrote:  Contradiction. Medium-well is overcooked, therefore not perfect.

and by overcooked you of course mean undercooked.

Which part of "overcooked" do you not understand?

[earmuffs]

(19-12-2012 07:59 PM)Chas Wrote:  

(19-12-2012 07:41 PM)earmuffs Wrote:  and by overcooked you of course mean undercooked.

Which part of "overcooked" do you not understand?

No I understand the concept of overcooked.
But the idea that medium-well done steak is "overcooked" is odd considering the best way to cook a steak is to chuck it on the bbq until it's dead.