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We generally just shop in person at the supermarket, at the big box store, at the drug store and at the dollar store. Just about everything else except major appliances is bought on line (i.e, small appliances, small electronics, clothes, shoes, music, musical instruments, computers, scanners, printer, camera equipment, household decorations, watches, jewelry, to name a few. Plus banking and investing is done online.
There's lots of reasons to avoid the mall and shop online, including vastly better selection of items and sizes, better prices, better return policies, and the availability of online consumer reviews of the items you are considering buying. Plus, no traffic, crowds, gas or parking, is a huge savings in time and effort. A couple of clicks and it's on it's way to your front door or to the front door of whoever you are buying a gift for in another part of the country.
With online education and working at home via the internet starting to become more common, there will continue to be added benefits to the consumer and reduced costs of providing an environment for school and work. If you consider how much time is lost socializing at work and how little is learned in most classrooms, plus add in the costs for commuting, maintaining an appropriate wardrobe, and costs for food and snacks, we are ripe for distance learning and distance working via the internet.
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Originally Posted by Book Lover 21
I only make purchases online, but that doesn't make me a recluse. I go out to go on hikes, I go to clubs, I attend festivals, etc.
But I no longer shop in retail stores. I had enough of them trying to get me to apply for a credit card or sign up for their rewards program or give them my phone number and email address (so they could bombard me with MORE offers).
I think people will be surprised by how fast some thing will occur. I work as a software engineer doing automated QA (IE I write software that tests software). At a get together with half a dozen other people in the software development field we were talking about this topic. And...about how long until AI replaces us. I think its 15 years, possibly less. Other estimates ranged from 25 years, to about 35. Im certainly in the group that is concerned about it in my working years.
And we should define what automation means. Decent AI changes everything, even if it is limited to expert systems.
You are correct. The impoverishment will not affect everyone at the same speed. I did not elaborate on that in my last post but I took that into consideration. But the impoverishment will affect everyone, no matter how rich they are. Businesses will fold and the rich owners will not be able to make money and will run out of it. The super rich will hold out the longest but they also will become poor even if they have cash left. With businesses closing there won't be anything available to buy. What will become important is people's ability to survive based on brute strength and health. Without a logical solution to full automation by the government or directly by the people, the world will become a scary Mad Max scenario where money is worthless and physical strength, weapons, and access to food becomes very important.
Once enough people die out but before the rich have to get uncomfortable they will change the game and those that survive it might start doing better. It does the rich no good to kill every one off, they want the worlds population to be something like 500 million or was it the US population 500,000 I cant remember. But once we hit a certain point the game will change, the rich wont run things to failure they will keep the pressure until a certain amount die then let off a little, etc.
Just like the industrial revolution started in the late 1700s in Britain, people have to adapt to changing technology and be prepared to find work that is needed and valued. Besides the people needed to design, program and repair the automation of the future, many other jobs will never be replaced by machines. Many of them will be skilled labor such as plumbers and auto mechanics but also "thinking and negotiating" jobs like managers, teachers, counselors, lawyers, dieticians, doctors. There will not be enough of these to go around, however, and people often don't think about this when they select a major in college.
What I am saying is that ALL jobs will be automated. Automation experts and engineers agree. What we don't know is when this will happen. This is different than the industrial revolution. The intent in this "revolution" is to develop computers, robots, and other machines to REPLACE people doing jobs, not supplement or assist people in their jobs. There won't be anything to adapt to for people. Machines will fix and service other machines, skilled labor and thinking and negotiating jobs will be automated. It won't matter what major someone selects in college. Upon completion of the degree, the graduate will not need to get a job. Their services will not be needed no matter what their major. As I said, this revolution is different.
No the Constitution has the Bill of Rights. If the intent was to control business to generate jobs, you'd think they'd mention that, but I will concede that point.
You answered NONE of my questions.
The bill of rights is just that a bill of rights. You don't have a right to have a state issued business license or a drivers license, etc. IF the people of a state decide they want to change the rules or taxes for business they can and there is nothing you can do about it but move. As more and more states pass such legislation there will be less places to run to where you can exploit an ignorant and naïve people.
Once enough people die out but before the rich have to get uncomfortable they will change the game and those that survive it might start doing better. It does the rich no good to kill every one off, they want the worlds population to be something like 500 million or was it the US population 500,000 I cant remember. But once we hit a certain point the game will change, the rich wont run things to failure they will keep the pressure until a certain amount die then let off a little, etc.
That might be a valid scenario. I think it was a 500 million worldwide population that I also heard about.
Just as I suspected with certain posters
Infowars and your tin foil hats are that way --->
Ironically enough, the right wing nut jobs at InfoWars would likely be for automation (because of their pro-corporate agenda) and against UBI because that’d mean more gubmint influence over their lives. Thanks for the chuckle though.
I worked as a self check cashier in a retail store over the summer, doing what it would have taken four or five employees to do before the advent of self check registers. They aren't crying wolf, job loss due to automation is real. Online shopping, a highly automated process, is taking away jobs in the brick and mortar stores too. And of course they are making a lot of progress in automating distribution centers and probably delivery trucks as well. Retail is a low profit margin (per item) and brutally competitive industry...they will save costs by reducing employee head count absolutely wherever and whenever they can.
It's just how people say brick and mortar stores will all die off.....I just don't believe it.
The nature of brick and mortar stores will change. Walk into an Apple Store and you get a hint. There will always be the quick stop stores; think Bodega Grande.
High end retail will drift into showroom only services.
Saying you don't believe it does not change it. They will not all go away, but the point is, making a living flipping burgers or selling dresses at Macy's is on the decline.
Hobby stores is one example. Hobby stores with advice on how to do things like knit will survive. No one will make a living selling yarn, however.
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All Jobs Will be Automated
