As I wrote in the last article about automation, a research director at Stanford University predicts that within 10-15 years most professions will be so automated and robotic that only a fraction of the jobs will be performed by humans. We can share the jobs that are still needed so that everyone can have considerably more humane working conditions and shorter working hours. But what will people do in the future?
- a large part of our time will be spent consuming goods and services. This could mean going to the gym, museums or reading books and watching TV.
- the tasks that involve being good fellow human beings are still performed by humans better than machines. While the computer will diagnose the patient, the doctor will become more of a supportive psychologist and encouraging coach. In healthcare and the restaurant sector, work tasks can become more social and nurturing, while robots do all the practical work.
- we can expand the culture and tourism sector so that more people work to produce culture for us
- write books, make films and create music and art
- some very knowledge-intensive jobs such as engineering or in industry
- more people get time to devote themselves to politics
- robots can take over administration in education such as attendance reporting and homework and test marking, while teachers can spend more time supporting and teaching students and preparing lessons
The possibilities are endless if we let the tax pay for an expansion of the public sector and introduce a citizen's wage when we can afford it.
We have to fight and stick together so that the continued automation and robotization also benefits ordinary people and not just Big Capital.