There has been unemployment for specific fields, and also instances of unions negotiating for sinecures --- typesetters at newspapers being a notable example of both.
Back in the 70s there was discussion of specifically taxing computer components so as to provide funds for handling the reduction in work hours/positions which such would facilitate --- perhaps we need to do something along these lines for AI?
At some point, automation and efficiency should reduce the number of hours of labor which the world as a whole needs to be done --- what is to be done for the folks who are rendered unemployable? At a job call at my previous employer (a large, privately-owned printer) we hired 100 entry-level folks --- six months later, only 1 of them was still employed at the company, the balance either having moved on to other jobs, or having been terminated for performance and attendance issues, mostly the latter. Pay and benefits are quite competitive.
Back in the 70s there was discussion of specifically taxing computer components so as to provide funds for handling the reduction in work hours/positions which such would facilitate --- perhaps we need to do something along these lines for AI?
At some point, automation and efficiency should reduce the number of hours of labor which the world as a whole needs to be done --- what is to be done for the folks who are rendered unemployable? At a job call at my previous employer (a large, privately-owned printer) we hired 100 entry-level folks --- six months later, only 1 of them was still employed at the company, the balance either having moved on to other jobs, or having been terminated for performance and attendance issues, mostly the latter. Pay and benefits are quite competitive.