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0913856742 t1_j07adrf wrote

Reply to comment by Clarkeprops in The problem isn’t AI, it’s requiring us to work to live by jamesj

> Forgive me if I don’t cry them a river. I’ve had to hustle my whole life and provide value where I’m able and I still struggle.

What I'm hearing is "I had to suffer, so you must suffer." This is not how we make progress as a society.

What if that was you? What if you worked your whole life, did everything you were supposed to, invested as wisely as you could, and decided to retire sometime between 2019-2022? Well, we know how difficult it would be, because we're living through it right now.

This argument that technology will always create new jobs is limiting and limited. Limiting because it conceptualizes human beings as workers only. Limited because it assumes that the new situation will always be better.

Humans are not infinitely flexible widgets, and nor should they be. I wonder when you are 50 years old, and your job becomes outsourced / automated / made obsolete by technology, will you also be so eager and ready to retrain to the next viable industry? And keep in mind, new jobs that are created through technological advancements tend to require more skills and education, not less, and there's no guarantee that there will be more jobs created, or even a 1:1 replacement. Or maybe you feel it is viable that everybody learn to write code, or everyone should go to trade school, regardless of ability or interest?

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Clarkeprops t1_j07bsvy wrote

You’re hearing wrong.

They DID NOT suffer. They lived through the most prosperous time known to humanity and were given more opportunity for wealth than my generation or any other. I can’t speak to any one’s personal experience, but for the boomer generation, that settled.

ALSO, they are responsible for the economic and environmental situation we’re in, so forgive me if I don’t have sympathy for their misfortune that they’re only just now joining me in.

The struggle isn’t new to me so if being better at it gives me an edge for once, I’m going to take it and feel ZERO remorse. It’s the first and maybe the last time I’ll get any kind of edge.

Oh, I’m sorry, “Interest”? Since when does interest play a part in survival? I’m currently unemployed and am looking for plenty of jobs I’m not interested in. I wasn’t aware that beggars can be choosers.

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0913856742 t1_j07dleu wrote

I mean, the general tone of this forum is an optimism about the future and how technology could improve all our lives. Given your personal situation I can understand why this may seem like a mirage, given that you are more concerned with your immediate survival needs. I hope you are able to improve your situation.

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Clarkeprops t1_j07fci6 wrote

Technology absolutely will improve all our lives as a whole. Even if I stand to be negatively impacted, I’m certain that it’s a net benefit to humanity.

I just feel the need to counter the pushback against creative destruction and the stifling of progress for petty material reasons. I also think most fears are overblown and misplaced.

Same as Y2K. Overblown worry that cost more in panic than it did in inconvenience

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