“What trillion-dollar problem is AI trying to solve?”

Wages. They’re trying to use it to solve having to pay wages.

  • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    Capitalist Realism: “Oh no. The factory automated my job, so now I need to find a new employer to pay me less money, possibly in a totally different city or state.”

    Socialist Idealism: “Hooray! The factory automated my job! Now I have more time to socialize with my friends and neighbors, pursue hobbies, and volunteer towards new community improvements that will make my town and state a better place!”

    • Adalast@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      I got lucky, the company I work for lets me automate whatever I want in my roles and doesn’t pile on more because I did. I just get more time. I end up spending some of that time looking for other inefficiencies that I can clean up. We have struggled with gaining market share due to some blunders in marketing, so pay has not been what it should be, but aside from the financial issues it has always been a very rewarding environment to work in. I set my own projects for the most part, tell them when things will be done, and get to spend time with my family and infant son so I don’t miss his life. It really is how life should be. Luckily the marketing people finally listened to me, so things are quickly picking up financially.

    • Serinus@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      Absolutely. In a sane world automating work is a good thing. In a less than an ideal world, the transition might be a little painful, but it’d be good in the long run.

      In our world, every bit of efficiency gain is eaten by the oligarchy. It’s all about how much they can take away from us.

      • leftytighty@slrpnk.net
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        3 days ago

        this is how I went from being excited about technology as a young adult to being an anarchist as an older adult haha

    • leftytighty@slrpnk.net
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      3 days ago

      Under capitalism labour unions have perverse incentives to combat automation when under the ultimate labour union of socialism we would all be motivated to be working towards it.

  • nroth@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    Actually, I think it’s more useful under socialism than capitalism. Most things aren’t economic to automate to a high standard of quality now because human labor is valued so low. In a democratic socialist society where people get to choose whether to work, automating menial tasks that people tend not to want to do will make more sense because folks won’t want to do those things for cheap.

    • jessca@lemmy.ca
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      3 days ago

      This is a really good question. What does a post-consumer society look like?

      The middle class is an anomaly that occurs when the profit from labor makes it worthwhile. If labor is no longer worth more than the cost of food, then there are 2 options: a welfare state or a cull. To do otherwise is to invite revolt.

      I suspect that Luigi is being used as a means to prepare for a cull. By inflating the situation, they are manufacturing consent regarding the right to own advanced weaponry. These could start with semi-autonomous drones, such as the Boston Dynamics dogs. We’ve already seen similar robots with flamethrowers. Later upgrades would make them fully autonomous.

      At some point, they will be used for riot control and there will be “terrible accident” caused by “an unforeseen reaction to the violence of the protesters.” It will be very sad and there will be no repercussions because of a law that excuses AI mistakes on the grounds that AIs are very useful and hard to make correct.

      After an investigation, it will be determined that the best way to prevent similar mistakes is early intervention. Machines will be spread throughout the city and, nominally, working for a government that’s really just trying to keep up the appearance that it hasn’t lost control.

  • dx1@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    In theory AI, even LLMs, have pretty great potential to be authoritative sources of knowledge and reference tools. In practice private companies have scanned the breadth of online human knowledge using an advanced tool they developed (off of the shoulders of giants as they say) and are trying to rent-seek the enhanced access to that information, and the people most willing to pay money for that service are trying to drive down expenses where otherwise they’d have to pay people to produce the same output. Which does lower their bottom line, having a split effect - it may drive down prices in non-monopolistic scenarios (where they exist), but simply drive up profits in monopolistic scenarios while decreasing employment (where those exist). The typical symptom of new technologies in a rigged economy.

  • Bronzebeard@lemm.ee
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    3 days ago

    This is a stupid take.

    We’re already seeing the benefits of using AI in material science research, pharmaceutical research, translating previously lost languages, green energy development, and thousands of other optimizations…

    Anyone saying this is only about jobs is woefully ignorant on the subject

    • ZMoney@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      We’ve been using machine learning and neural networks to solve particular problems in science for decades. The recent AGI craze is not about this. It’s about creating a speculative investment bubble based around a language algorithm that generates bullshit.

    • deaf_fish@lemm.ee
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      3 days ago

      Your right, it’s not only about jobs. But you know why it’s getting funded so heavily? Its a lot cheaper to have a computer do something for basically nothing than to pay people to do it.

      Also, I’d be willing to bet money that the coworkers of people being laid off due to increased productivity from LLMs, won’t see a raise from it.

  • TwoFacedJanus1968@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    Easy algorithm there. Stop hiring people and they will stop buying things. Then they can stop making things and just eat their money to survive.

    That’s typical AI logic anyway.

  • psud@aussie.zone
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    3 days ago

    If a lot of people are out of work and idle by automation, and new stuff doesn’t come along to employ them (like level 4 self driving will destroy 30% of jobs)

    Those people will be looking for a fix pretty quick. Starving men may go to extremes. Maybe our obesogenic food environment is there to slow down revolutions (I know that’s impossible, but a fun thought)

  • Dragon Rider (drag)@lemmy.nz
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    3 days ago

    AI is useful in Ian Banks’ The Culture series. They’re equal citizens of the Culture and they do lots of important things for society. And the Culture is communist.

  • rational_lib@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    The goal is to save labor, then wages. If the point is that labor only results in improvements to people’s well-being when paired with labor rights, yes. But that doesn’t mean saving labor is the enemy.

  • Snot Flickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    3 days ago

    I thought they were trying to defeat the pesky menace of “public opinion” and this is just an extension of Persona Management Software.

    The point is to drown out real human voices so it always seems like public opinion supports the status quo.

    Makes it a lot easier to massage the message of your bought and paid for mass media.

    These folks don’t like when public opinion does stuff like… support Luigi Mangione for example. Better to flood the zone with “rational” voices.

  • acargitz@lemmy.ca
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    3 days ago

    Joke’s on you fuckheads. You’ve been fearing an eliminationist AGI for so long you forgot to guard against actually ethically decent AGI. AGI robots are going to be our union brothers and sisters.

    Good luck union busting that, fuckers.