Stephen Hawking Says We Should Really Be Scared Of Capitalism, Not Robots

[kpete]

Stephen Hawking Says We Should Really Be Scared Of Capitalism, Not Robots
"If machines produce everything we need, the outcome will depend on how things are distributed."

Machines won't bring about the economic robot apocalypse -- but greedy humans will, according to physicist Stephen Hawking.

In a Reddit Ask Me Anything session on Thursday, the scientist predicted that economic inequality will skyrocket as more jobs become automated and the rich owners of machines refuse to share their fast-proliferating wealth.

If machines produce everything we need, the outcome will depend on how things are distributed. Everyone can enjoy a life of luxurious leisure if the machine-produced wealth is shared, or most people can end up miserably poor if the machine-owners successfully lobby against wealth redistribution. So far, the trend seems to be toward the second option, with technology driving ever-increasing inequality.

https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/3nyn5i/science_ama_series_stephen_hawking_ama_answers/cvsdmkv
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/stephen-hawking-capitalism-robots_5616c20ce4b0dbb8000d9f15

[PatrickforO]

1. Hawking is right, to a point.

Eventually, though, there will be massive social unrest. That's why I'm supporting a certain fringe candidate, because I would prefer to live through a political revolution than a violent one.

[Peace Patriot]

2. I agree with Hawkings about capitalism being scary...

...and our current predatory capitalism is terrifying. Among other things, it is destroying our planet!

He also makes a very good point about wealth distribution. And I would say that, whatever problems we are facing--whether it's robots taking over jobs, or racism, or corporate ruination of democracy, or corporate environmental destruction, almost anything you could name--are mitigated by fair wealth distribution, and, in some cases, are eliminated by fair wealth distribution. Even global warming can be mitigated by fair wealth distribution, as to some of its impacts anyway; proper wealth distribution can also enable people to win the fight for restoring earth.

But, actually, the first thing that sprang to my mind about robots taking jobs was...tomatoes. Really good tomatoes. Growing things locally with loving care. Good tasting things. Food with personality and pizazz (not to mention great nutrition). Cooking. It takes individuality to do it well--planting food, choosing food, cooking food. Nursing. Sick people, elderly people, need human contact. Nursery school teachers. Kids need human contact. There is no substitute. We've learned to accept (even if we hate with a great hatred) automated systems of various kinds--banking (no clerk), paying for things (no salesperson), getting gas (no attendant), crossing a bridge & paying a toll (no toll-taker), and on and on. Although these things are hateful and hated, and are NOT good for us--not at all!--we tolerate them, generally because we have no choice. But do we really want to be stuck in a nursing home with no people? Do we want our little ones to have automated teaching?

Some things CANNOT be replaced by robots--at least not until robots are like Commander Data (and we are a long, long way from simpatico artificial sentient beings, and may never get there). And the things that can't be done by robots are generally the things that we cherish most--care of our children, our parents, our grandparents and other elderly relatives and friends, care of the sick (ourselves or other people), eating as a joy with personalized cooking, and more--how about brilliant, unique music, art, literature, movies, well-designed clothes and buildings?

I was thinking lately that we should mandate a complete reversal of our pay structure, and start nursery school teachers and nurses' aids at the top salary, say $500,000/yr, and graduate down through categories of true usefulness to CEOs, who would have to get by on a so-called living wage of $15/hr.

Ha-ha-ha. Actually I mean this. Police officers, fire fighters and garbage collectors should make one hundred times more than mayors and city department heads. We need to get our priorities straight.

Direct service to human beings, in difficult jobs that require patience and heart, cannot be done by robots--or, if we ever permit them to be done by robots, we will have crossed a line to the final devolution of humanity itself. Robotic food sucks! Robotic teaching sucks! Robotic medical care sucks! And they will never not suck. Just like it sucks not to have a human being on the phone, only more so.

[MisterP]

3. he's a technocrat and openly said that knowing about black holes outranks historians on history

and philosophers on philosophy ...

"At present, I allow, we must have forests, for the atmosphere. Presently we find a chemical substitute. And then, why any natural trees? I foresee nothing but the art tree all over the earth. In fact, we clean the planet."
--Filostrato, That Hideous Strength