A Thought About Robots #3

So when do humans become obsolete?

Every time I go through the self-checkout, I can't help but think about how someone's job was probably stolen by these machines. They were replaced by something that's ultimately cheaper for the store to employ. I realize that not everyone uses these things, (old people/Luddites.) But time marches on and these people die and technology becomes more advanced and more accepted by the next generation. It creeps and crawls, slowly seeding its self into every facet of life and absorbs more jobs held by people. (Emphases on slowly) We've really only just begun but think about it; we already have vehicles that can drive themselves. With just a tiny bit of development (and an overwhelming start-up and retrofitting fee), say goodby to cab drivers, bus drivers, train conductors, airline pilots, truckers, waste management truck drivers, ice cream truck drivers, etc. That's a LOT of jobs and they're all filled by essentially the same single specialized computer.

Now there's a difference between robotizing a job for safety, (like making a bomb squad bot or a space probe,) and robotizing a job so that higher-ups in a corporation can reap a little more monetary benefits. It's the latter that's potentially so destructive to society.

Let me pose a terrifying question. What happens when robots and AI are so advanced that they can do any job? What if everyone could be replaced with a machine that could do their job exponentially better and cost whoever was above them significantly less to run or manage whatever business? Then what about that manager? They'd get replaced too to cut their paycheck from the overhead and the people above them and the people above them to maximize efficiency and profit. A whole skyscraper of cubicles and work-spaces consolidated into a super computer which operates a massive network of robots. What in a capitalist society will stop complete automation?  

There must be an equilibrium somewhere between human and machine but I desperately hope it's somewhere in the middle versus complete replacement of the human species or a handful of aristocrats sitting upon a completely automated cab conglomerate, (or whatever,) with nothing to do but watch electronic money transfers roll in.

But that wouldn't really happen, would it? At least not forever. That kind of economy couldn't be sustained. All of these out of work people would undoubtedly create their own society called the 'No Robots Club' which would in turn cause the economy that they left to collapse. The aristocrats would come crawling on their knees to the No Robots Club when their money becomes worthless. And then we enter a technological dark age where robots are outlawed. But what of the society abandoned by humans? Only robots remain in their own self sufficient world but it's not a writhing sentient hive-mind with nothing but disdain for humans like in The Matrix Revolutions. It's more like a story out of The Twilight Zone. The existence of a robot is only justified by the humans who use them. With no humans to serve, what are they ultimately doing with their time?

Yes sir, in the future there are only two types; robots with nothing to do and hard working Amish. You heard it here first!