Read more

Robotic Evolution, Accelerating Automation, and Job Loss

Researchers have recently figured out how to impart hive learning capabilities to robots. It’s particularly applicable to the kinds of complex tasks that require observation, trial, error, learning and further trials. This will enable them to collectively learn, in weeks, tasks that would have individually taken the robots years. Essentially, a group of identical robots […]

Read more

Ominous Cascading Effects of Accelerating Automation

When one paid worker appears or disappears in a community, it causes what economists call a “multiplier effect”. This has historically been estimated at 5 times the salary of the worker. Here’s how it works: if a person earning an income enters a community, that worker will then demand various goods and services. The providers […]

Read more

Technological unemployment of cats

We’ve been giving all of our attention to the crisis automation poses for HUMAN workers. But what about cats? They have many jobs, too: Greeter Bookends Footwarmers Relaxation appliances (purring) Seat warmer Masseuse (kneading with paws) Grooming assistant (licking noses and faces) WWE live wrestling entertainment (requires two cats, preferably Siberians) Morning wakeup service (also […]

Read more

First Social Disruption from Technological Unemployment–a Warning

Donald Trump’s ascendancy in politics is certainly disruptive. It probably wouldn’t be happening if large numbers of well-paying middle class jobs hadn’t been outsourced in recent years, either permanently lost or replaced by minimum wage jobs. The people to whom this has happened understandably feel frustrated and scared. What nobody has put together, at least […]