In it, he argues that soon at least half of all jobs will be better and more safely handled by AI. That we are not ready for the dramatic social upheaval that this transition will cause. That we should not look to previous economic revolutions (industrial, computer or otherwise) because the same sets of conditions do not apply: things are moving faster than those did, and the transition may not give rise to new forms of work.
For the most part, I agree with him. AI and automation are going to cause incredible changes. My first quibble is with the speed: some sectors will be changed much more rapidly due to the economic advantages automation provides. My second is that Mr. Lee offers no solutions.
The article is a bit of a Paul Revere ride around Boston, but instead of yelling about the Red Coats, he's yelling about AI. Unlike Paul, Mr. Lee does not have a guerrilla group prepared to do anything when the AI's arrive.
If I were in charge (a scary proposition for all involved), the title of Mr. Lee's article would read, "Tech companies should stop pretending AI won't destroy jobs and start promoting it." It's not a bug, but a feature. Destroying jobs is a good thing and should be encouraged.
Artisanal Economy
There are people who enjoy their jobs. Not being one of them, my guess is that they derive satisfaction from the work itself, not from the economic benefit that it brings them. The example that comes to mind is Spongebob Squarepants, who enjoys his menial burger-flipping job because he really likes flipping burgers. (No disservice meant to any burger artisans out there, or artisans of any kind. Find enjoyment in this life however you can.) Most of us are not Spongebob. We work mostly for the economic benefit, not for the work itself.
And that is what AI is going to take away: work that is being done only for the economic benefit. For which we should be thankful. And scared. But mostly thankful. No more burger flipping if you don't want to. No more endless 'reply all' emails just so that you can prove to all of your coworkers that you are on top of whatever project you are on. No more new cover pages for the TPS reports.
Of course, the scary part is there because we NEED that economic benefit. We need to pay for food and shelter and medicines and safety and security and comfort and somebody-please-hug-me. This is where Mr. Lee stops in his article. But it is the answer that Tech Companies, the Government and all of those we call 'They' need to provide.
I Am All the 'They' You Need
Until 'They' do, you've all got me. I've written about this stuff a few times in the past, but I'm beginning to change my thought process a bit. Not because of anything I read, but merely on the strength of extrapolation and thinking like a human. Also, because I'm far from consistent.
First, Universal Basic Income might be a stop gap, but it will not last. It can't. For a decade, maybe two, it will help relieve some of the stress and strain. However, it will also cause inflation. By giving money to people, we are both increasing the money supply (which leads to inflation) and decreasing the mental value of money (if it is being given away for free, then the money has a value of 'free' or zero, which is worse than inflation).
Instead, what we need is a system that provides for all basic needs: shelter, food, healthcare and education. Without cost. Which sounds socialist and communist and such. Which it is. To a point. The difference is that there will still be at least a limited market economy. In a socialist economy, the rule is 'from each according to his abilities to each according to his needs,' but here, the basic needs are all taken care of, by AI and automation. Now, show the world your abilities and do what you can with them. Because you want to, not because you need to.
Basics
A small footnote at the end, here, on the word 'basic'. There will still be differences between basic food and enjoyable food. Between basic housing and 'a space worth living in.'
Everyone should have access to the basics. If you want more, then find something you enjoy doing and work for it.
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