Computers are the future. So why are we the enemy?

[BrilloPad]

Why do 'radical' politicians have so little to say about the future? - Telegraph

Computers are going to be putting more and more people out of work. Why isn't anyone in Westminster interested?

Odd then that more and more IT is being offshored and we are being attacked by government and their bosses HMRC.

[OwlHoot]

Why do 'radical' politicians have so little to say about the future? - Telegraph

Computers are going to be putting more and more people out of work. Why isn't anyone in Westminster interested? ...

It isn't just politicians. In my experience most people are completely unwilling or unable to talk sensibly about the possible or even likely future, except for the completely bleedin' obvious.

For example, each of the several times over the years that I've tried to start what might be an interesting discussion about it here on CUK, where you'd think quite a few people would be interested and eager to share their thoughts, the result has been deathly silence.

Perhaps uncertainty and speculation just make people uncomfortable

[BrilloPad]

It isn't just politicians. In my experience most people are completely unwilling or unable to talk sensibly about the possible or even likely future, except for the completely bleedin' obvious.

For example, each of the several times over the years that I've tried to start what might be an interesting discussion about it here on CUK, where you'd think quite a few people would be interested and eager to share their thoughts, the result has been deathly silence.

Perhaps uncertainty and speculation just make people uncomfortable

I am amazed there was silence. I expected 9 comments from trolls and 1 intelligent comment.

[diseasex]

I am amazed there was silence. I expected 9 comments from trolls and 1 intelligent comment.

Well , thanks to industrial revolution and automation we have reduced working hours to 8h/pd and only 5days a week.
But what if theres no job, computers will take over all the aspects? Will 100% of people feel the benefit of it or just those that control them?

[VectraMan]

Computers putting people out of work is something you'd hear a lot in the 80s, yet funnily enough decades later we don't have mass unemployment and lots of us have jobs working on computers.

[diseasex]

Computers putting people out of work is something you'd hear a lot in the 80s, yet funnily enough decades later we don't have mass unemployment and lots of us have jobs working on computers.

Yes but when they implemented automated sewing a lot of people that were sewing manually died of starvation . Problem solved?
Don't have any references, watched it on discovery a while a go. Makes you think

[Antman]

With automation we've got better stuff, so with automated textile production, everybody got cheaper shirts. The skilled labour for shirts died out (not the actual people, they had to re-train to something else, just the jobs).

For the short-term future, we'll have "better" services. Whether we reach a point where services can't get any better and start running out of jobs for people to do, then we could see Popn. decline.

Goes back to Asimov novel.

[unixman]

I heard once that working hours got less and less, and leisure time more and more until it peaked in the early/mid 70s. After that, working hours started to gradually increase again.

I'd hope further automation would mean the world can move to 3 day weekends. However greed will probably prevent that.

[Antman]

I heard once that working hours got less and less, and leisure time more and more until it peaked in the early/mid 70s. After that, working hours started to gradually increase again.

I'd hope further automation would mean the world can move to 3 day weekends. However greed will probably prevent that.

Wasn't this some trend of firing half the workforce and paying the half who stayed a third more to work double the hours or summat?

Goes back to asahi lager

[pangeakiller]

Toyota pioneered automation and robotics. They had an awesome run for 8 years or so. People praised their LEAN manufacturing capabilities. Their quality, turn-out ratio and margins were top-notch thanks to automation. But then they had their f*** up moment with the un-intended acceleration issue. They hired 10 engineers and asked them to look at the car that had failed to stop. The humans were able to spot the design flaw within 30 minutes!

See that's were the world needs humans. Computers and Robots and drones are awesome and they can do what they are *programmed* to do quite well. In the absence of iRobot like moment or technological singularity, computers and other machines are just tools for humans. You learn to use the tools or you don't (lazy b**). When computers replaced type writers, several typists lost their jobs. However, some learnt to use computers for calendars and note taking and became highly paid secretaries. Briefly, there was a boom for secretaries who had these skills (along with other skills ). Now there is a boom in China for folks who can operate an electrical sewing machine (since those are expensive for common people)