As a software engineer who is working on retiring to a small farm somewhere, I have no problem with the prospect of living on 10% of my former income, assuming, the other 90% of my income used to be spent on obtaining resources that I now can obtain for myself or no longer need.
In other words, if I can do more for myself, I require less interaction with commercial and governmental institutions.
Since money is a form of communication, if I am conducting fewer financial transactions because I am solving problems on my own, my standard of living doesn't necessarily decline with reduced income.
30 years ago, if you needed a one off plastic part by tomorrow, you were most likely simply screwed.
20 years ago, if you needed a one off plastic part by tomorrow, you could probably get it at a fairly high cost.
10 years ago, if you needed a one off plastic part by tomorrow, $10 worth of gas across town and back and you had your part for an affordable price.
The world never ended, people just adapted to the new environment.
Today, if you need a one off plastic part by tomorrow, you ask AI to crank out a 3D file, its in your hand in a few hours, and you crank out 4 more parts in the remaining time.
If the individual is more productive on his/her own, he/she will naturally conduct fewer commercial transactions with his/her neighbor or neighboring tribe, and the forces of supply and demand do exactly what we know they do.
Some numbers get smaller, some numbers get larger, and we all wake up tomorrow and eat breakfast.
Having food you can eat is wealth.
Having 100% of your time at your own command is wealth.
AI is doing what every politician promised, and none could deliver.
It just made everyone (potentially) wealthy.
And it will only get more interesting in the Confucious sense as more people realize this.
Dare I say it .... world peace ? ( dependency on others as a source of fear and insecurity -> AI reducing dependency to minimal amounts -> every individual confident and secure -> ego death -> world peace ... the presumed potential path )
In other words, if I can do more for myself, I require less interaction with commercial and governmental institutions.
Since money is a form of communication, if I am conducting fewer financial transactions because I am solving problems on my own, my standard of living doesn't necessarily decline with reduced income.
30 years ago, if you needed a one off plastic part by tomorrow, you were most likely simply screwed.
20 years ago, if you needed a one off plastic part by tomorrow, you could probably get it at a fairly high cost.
10 years ago, if you needed a one off plastic part by tomorrow, $10 worth of gas across town and back and you had your part for an affordable price.
The world never ended, people just adapted to the new environment.
Today, if you need a one off plastic part by tomorrow, you ask AI to crank out a 3D file, its in your hand in a few hours, and you crank out 4 more parts in the remaining time.
If the individual is more productive on his/her own, he/she will naturally conduct fewer commercial transactions with his/her neighbor or neighboring tribe, and the forces of supply and demand do exactly what we know they do.
Some numbers get smaller, some numbers get larger, and we all wake up tomorrow and eat breakfast.
Having food you can eat is wealth.
Having 100% of your time at your own command is wealth.
AI is doing what every politician promised, and none could deliver.
It just made everyone (potentially) wealthy.
And it will only get more interesting in the Confucious sense as more people realize this.
Dare I say it .... world peace ? ( dependency on others as a source of fear and insecurity -> AI reducing dependency to minimal amounts -> every individual confident and secure -> ego death -> world peace ... the presumed potential path )