A hot topic right now is that of the advancement of technology, and what that means for us as a society. There are fears that machines will come in and change every aspect of life, and potentially replace the need for humans altogether. There are two main spectrums of thought when looking at the advancement of technology. First, there is a dystopian view that in the next 10-20 years all jobs by humans will be made obsolete, and we as a people will be depressed because we get a sense of purpose and fulfillment from the work that we do. The other view is a utopian one that agrees that human work will be made obsolete, but it will be incredible. We will have all this free time that will be amazing and we will be living our best lives. This idea, though, is very unrealistic, because we have seen technology advance more and more throughout history, and this has never been the case. At one point, there was not unlimited access to the internet with just a click of a button on a hand-held device. This was a new technology that was created as a result of people innovating with the creation of new technology. The same is true with the advancement of technology we see today. Humans do not simply "stop," developing. With new advancement comes more potential for more and more development. The idea that there is only a fixed amount of work to be done comes from the lump of labor myth. This myth assumes the if the machine does all the work, then there is nothing for us to do and thus, we just sit around and do nothing. But that is not what we have seen in history, we have seen people continue to progress and find new things to do.
Why can't robots/machines just take over?
We have all seen it in the sci-fi movies, a machine realizes its potential and then turns on the creator. It's a fear that we have because we have been so accustomed to it. The fact is, though, that all these machines must be programmed to do an exact task. We cannot really make robots to do a diversity of differing things, but rather, program something to do one/maybe two tasks very well and efficiently. It is only able to do those things because it is programmed that way, thus, for it to think on its own and "take over," is impossible.
So, what does this advancement in technology mean for the every day Joe?
This advancement of technology means that, yes, machines might be created to specialize in work that humans once did. So what someone might have done for a living - like long-distance trucking - might no longer be an opportunity for work. Thus, Dr. Jay Richards, assistant professor at Catholic University, says that we should prepare, by developing skills that allow for maximum capability (Will smart machines take our jobs, min 60). That might no longer be a legitimate job opportunity for someone, but that does not mean that one should just not work. We as humans are versatile and thus, advance with what is occurring around us. The best way that we can respond to the changes we see is not to cower in fear, but discover new ways that we can not simply survive with the new machines, but thrive alongside them.
Sources: https://ostate.tv/media/1_yewqu5cs
