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re: Non partisan topic - any real economic plan by anyone that addresses AI displacement?
Posted on 3/26/25 at 2:57 pm to Powerman
Posted on 3/26/25 at 2:57 pm to Powerman
updated for you
quote:
Why AI Might Be Worse
The car replaced a tool (horses); AI replaces human capability—cognition, decision-making, adaptability. It’s not just faster; it’s broader. Stable boys could shift to manual labor; Sarah’s options shrink if AI takes both physical and basic cognitive tasks. Weinstein’s Coasian rights might buy time for some, but if the pace is relentless, it’s like handing out lifeboats on the Titanic—helpful until the ship’s fully under.
Your intuition’s spot-on: the sheer velocity of AI could outstrip any historical precedent, leaving Sarah—and millions like her—scrambling in a way stable boys could only dream of. The question becomes whether any framework, Coasian or otherwise, can scale fast enough to match.
Posted on 3/26/25 at 3:01 pm to Powerman
Iceman used to visit every household daily went away with refrigeration.
Milkman used to come by once a week - that job went away,
Entire office secretarial offices went away as computers took over typing letters, scheduling appointments and generally pushing “paper around.
The USPS is no longer needed because of e-mail and packages are more efficiently moved by private parties.
Car engines used to be replaced every 60,000 miles in “motor exchange shops” that were located in every city.
The point is that improvements are good and people adapt to find other ways to be productive members of society as long as we don’t hinder their transition with wasteful government programs that make conditions worse.
Milkman used to come by once a week - that job went away,
Entire office secretarial offices went away as computers took over typing letters, scheduling appointments and generally pushing “paper around.
The USPS is no longer needed because of e-mail and packages are more efficiently moved by private parties.
Car engines used to be replaced every 60,000 miles in “motor exchange shops” that were located in every city.
The point is that improvements are good and people adapt to find other ways to be productive members of society as long as we don’t hinder their transition with wasteful government programs that make conditions worse.
Posted on 3/26/25 at 3:05 pm to LB84
This is way different. AI is already substantially improving the productivity of the most productive workers.
It’s not hard to believe that AI agents will be good enough to replace 99% of white collar office jobs within a decade. There are already AI agents that could realistically do the job of most.
By the way. Self driving cars do work. Go to Vegas or Arizona, waymos everywhere
It’s not hard to believe that AI agents will be good enough to replace 99% of white collar office jobs within a decade. There are already AI agents that could realistically do the job of most.
By the way. Self driving cars do work. Go to Vegas or Arizona, waymos everywhere
Posted on 3/26/25 at 3:11 pm to AaronDeTiger
quote:
Scenario:
Sarah, a warehouse worker earning $40,000/year, faces job loss due to an AI robot that saves her employer $30,000 annually. Under Eric Weinstein’s Coasian rights framework, Sarah holds a tradable "job right," forcing the company to negotiate with her before automating her role.
Bargaining Process:
The company offers Sarah $20,000 to relinquish her right. She counters with $50,000 for a year’s salary and retraining. After back-and-forth, they settle on $35,000, including health insurance, allowing the company to automate.
Possible Outcomes:
1. Buyout Agreement: Sarah accepts $35,000, leaves, and retrains for a $38,000/year job. The company nets $5,000 in savings after the payout.
2. Partial Automation with Retraining: Sarah stays part-time at $20,000/year, gets $15,000 for retraining, and assists with robots. The company saves $5,000 versus her full salary.
3. Sarah Sells Her Right: Sarah sells her job right to a third party for $40,000. The buyer negotiates $45,000 from the company, profiting $5,000. The company automates after paying.
Real life: fire Sarah and buy the robot.

Posted on 3/26/25 at 3:13 pm to Powerman
quote:
I suspect a lot of middle and upper middle class white collar jobs will be the first on the chopping block until robotics catches up to replace blue collar trades.
My "bad" early life choices and my inherent contrarian, nonconformist nature played to my benefit in the long run. I had the aptitude for college and scored high enough to gain some attention, but I couldn't imagine myself sitting in classrooms for another six years.
I started off blue collar laborer after a brief stint at a couple fast food joints and a solid run at trying to be a rock star (literally) showed me that it's no career I want to have. So I worked my but off and an opening came up where my little bit of high school welding experience put me on the maintenance mechanic team, where I had a couple knowledgeable coworkers from whom to sponge knowledgeable.
Stuck with it for over two decades. I'm now a fabricator and rebuilder. I weld steam pressure vessels at times and calibrate/adjust natural gas burners and ignition systems. I troubleshoot PLC issues and have done plenty of electrical repairs and installs from 9V to 600V. I've done equipment design and engineering. I've done almost every kind of plumbing known to man. Skilled and proficient in five welding processes. And yes, I pat myself on the back for it because I got here on my own and with only 9 months of trade school to get my steam card when I was already in my 30s, which I initiated and paid foron my own. I work on a ton of automation including robots.
I'm not making huge money at all but I'm comfortably middle class and the wife and I combine for well over $100k/year in a low cost of living area. If you've got kids in school, and they express the aptitude for it, steer them towards trade school to maintain the machines that inevitably will replace many warehouse and production workers. No place I know of has a robot that can pull and rebuild a turbine or stick an R-stamp weld on an autoclave shell.
That's probably a lot less about economic plan and more about personal plan, but the world will always need hands-on technicians, drywallers, welders and ditch diggers. That isn't going to change in the foreseeable future.
Posted on 3/26/25 at 3:16 pm to GeauxBurrow312
quote:
AI is already substantially improving the productivity of the most productive workers.
It helps me. But the issue with AI right now is you need to ask it the right questions. In highly technical fields you have to have the ability to ask the right question and interpret the answer according to your application. That still takes a human brain. Furthermore AI is not doing knee replacements and installing implants. Those jobs still take human experience and skill.
Posted on 3/26/25 at 3:18 pm to GeauxBurrow312
quote:
By the way. Self driving cars do work. Go to Vegas or Arizona, waymos everywhere
It ain’t worth much until it’s taking trucker jobs. Then I’ll believe it’s effective. You can believe that if it worked trucking companies would be all over it immediately.
Posted on 3/26/25 at 3:22 pm to GumboPot
Yes - AI substantially helps people who are already very productive. I get way more done in less time, and while I’m good at prompting I’m hardly the best out there.
You still need people obviously, you just need a lot less people
You still need people obviously, you just need a lot less people
Posted on 3/26/25 at 3:23 pm to LB84
Trucking jobs are already a problem. Way too many openings, people don’t want to do it, and the average age of a trucker is mid 50’s. When they retire logistics are fricked
Posted on 3/26/25 at 3:27 pm to Powerman
Simple really. GDP divided by the number of people = how much stuff per persons we get.
In the past, before computers people did everything. Then gas powered tractors and stuff allowed farms to produce a lot more with a lot less.
Then computers came around and productivity per person got another boost.
Then AI cam around, allowing computers to do things that they were not able to do before AI and GDP goes up per person once again.
Who works were is not important.
Let's go to the extreme. Robots and AI can produce 10 times the food we produce now, no need for poliice... all automated... no need to electricians are soldiers robots and AI take over 99% of the jobs.
Nobody has any work to do. Do you think the businesses will all go broke because they have no customers and everyone starves because they have no job?
No everyone is freed up to do whatever they want and robots do the work.
That is a long ways off but getting closer. Extreme example. But increases in productivity always result in and increase in the average standard of living.
In the past, before computers people did everything. Then gas powered tractors and stuff allowed farms to produce a lot more with a lot less.
Then computers came around and productivity per person got another boost.
Then AI cam around, allowing computers to do things that they were not able to do before AI and GDP goes up per person once again.
Who works were is not important.
Let's go to the extreme. Robots and AI can produce 10 times the food we produce now, no need for poliice... all automated... no need to electricians are soldiers robots and AI take over 99% of the jobs.
Nobody has any work to do. Do you think the businesses will all go broke because they have no customers and everyone starves because they have no job?
No everyone is freed up to do whatever they want and robots do the work.
That is a long ways off but getting closer. Extreme example. But increases in productivity always result in and increase in the average standard of living.
Posted on 3/26/25 at 3:30 pm to omegaman66
UBI will have to role in
The jobs to be more than normal, ironically, will be the gay arse influencer jobs. Or for select highly technical jobs and data center maintenance
Doctors will be safe for a while. But they have been testing robots doing surgery’s etc for a while, they won’t be too far behind everyone else
The jobs to be more than normal, ironically, will be the gay arse influencer jobs. Or for select highly technical jobs and data center maintenance
Doctors will be safe for a while. But they have been testing robots doing surgery’s etc for a while, they won’t be too far behind everyone else
Posted on 3/26/25 at 3:31 pm to Powerman
quote:
That's a personal plan.
I misunderstood
quote:
How is someone who is a toddler today going to become rich before then?

Well, if Ai displaces so many workers they will all be rich - not relative to one another but relative to you and me. They will live to be hundreds of years old; the work will all be done for them; and they will be infinitely entertained. They will screw creatures who are indistinguishable from the most beautiful women (or otherwise) of today; and I’m sure they will consider themselves unfortunate.
Posted on 3/26/25 at 3:33 pm to Penrod
the lack of meaning will be an issue. People turned from god. Turned from family and country. Many of those same people dove head first into their career
Without the corporate rat race, people who do not believe in the big 3 (god, family, country) will really need to find something to fill the void to avoid emptiness
Without the corporate rat race, people who do not believe in the big 3 (god, family, country) will really need to find something to fill the void to avoid emptiness
Posted on 3/26/25 at 4:27 pm to Lofaso
quote:
Iceman used to visit every household daily went away with refrigeration.
Milkman used to come by once a week - that job went away,
Entire office secretarial offices went away as computers took over typing letters, scheduling appointments and generally pushing “paper around.
The USPS is no longer needed because of e-mail and packages are more efficiently moved by private parties.
Car engines used to be replaced every 60,000 miles in “motor exchange shops” that were located in every city.
The point is that improvements are good and people adapt to find other ways to be productive members of society as long as we don’t hinder their transition with wasteful government programs that make conditions worse.
Those are gradual changes though. There is a real possibility that 25% of all occupations could be displaced in a very short period of time. The adjustment has the potential to be on a far greater scale than what you're describing.
Posted on 3/26/25 at 4:31 pm to GeauxBurrow312
quote:
the lack of meaning will be an issue.
I have a hypothesis that AI will destroy civilization. Not because the AI will try to. An entire society with no need to work could be a major problem. Most people aren't very good at doing nothing.
Posted on 3/26/25 at 4:38 pm to Auburn1968
quote:Probably more so with accountants than attorneys but I've seen many say that AI could do 90% of what they do. If they can replace accountants, imagine (if managed correctly) how few people would be needed at the IRS.
It is going to kill Hollywood and replace most current forms of media production and it won't take long.
Posted on 3/26/25 at 4:59 pm to Powerman
Why do we need a plan? Most government plans backfire.
If you mean private companies planning for the future, that is different.
If you mean private companies planning for the future, that is different.
Posted on 3/26/25 at 5:29 pm to Powerman
Hopefully AI takes over congressional jobs
Posted on 3/26/25 at 5:30 pm to GeauxBurrow312
quote:
Without the corporate rat race, people who do not believe in the big 3 (god, family, country) will really need to find something to fill the void to avoid emptiness
No truer words could be said on the matter. Twenty years ago I told my kids (in their 30s) that they will live to be 200 years old, but I’m not sure that’s a good thing.
Posted on 3/26/25 at 8:37 pm to Powerman
quote:
I have a hypothesis that AI will destroy civilization. Not because the AI will try to. An entire society with no need to work could be a major problem. Most people aren't very good at doing nothing.
I think it's very much possible. At a certain point, we are either going to have to stifle progress (protectionism etc.) or face some extreme growing pains. There are just so many paths that lead to a dystopian future.
Fwiw I think the nuclear bomb is a relevant comparison. Humanity had finally invented a way to truly & efficiently wipe itself out. There's been some shaky ground since, but life goes on
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