(future of work) (wrong question) (role of labour) (claims on wealth)
Why doesn’t anyone talk about the elephant in this room?
It’s clear that work, or “labour” in the sense that has driven Capitalism and been critiqued by Marxism, is being transformed, some would say “broken.” Broken in that it’s becoming harder to see how humans will contribute surplus value that capital can exploit.
This is not to say there will not be more than enough jobs to go around. It is to say that the engine of growth we all know (and love?), capitalism, will be seriously challenged by AI.
Not that it does not create an opportunity for vast profitability because the cost of labour has been reduced or eliminated from the equation in many situations. It is the fact that labour, as the mediator for the distribution of the wealth of nations, is becoming less viable than it ever has before and the wealth created is likely to accrue to very few. And I contend this is unsustainable.
Uber wealthy like to socialise this with a UBI. I think the idea of a UBI is wrong, dystopian even, but it would take me a dissertation to explain why.
Bottom line?
We need to find a new mechanism for the distribution of wealth accruing to capital so that it is to the benefit of all of humanity. We must do it without falling into the trap of UBI and other forms of “social safety net” thinking.
Put another way, we need to find a solution to the equity problem created by capitalism and put on steroids by AI, in a way that aligns with human purpose and happiness.