Frank Koller wrote:Story One goes like this: "If you're talking about 100 years from now, all jobs will be gone ... including the creative ones."
Story Two sounds like this: "The recovery of jobs is not all that bad ... it's moving in the right direction."
Story One is more realistic.
Okay, are these two folks living on the same planet? Yes. In fact -- amazingly and thankfully -- they were in the same room, sharing ideas about changes in the American workplace brought about by new technologies.
Four years after the Great Recession officially ended, millions of Americans are still unemployed and millions more remain underemployed. (For most, the distinction is unimportant: they're all hurting.)
So, the so-called "Great Recession" that was actually a "Great Depression", and still is, ended? When? I sure in the hell never noticed.
With realities like this, we all have to wonder how great, good, and wonderful technology really is. I believe there is a point where it and its growth stops (or at least should stop), and people begin. I also wonder what good technology will do, when it's productive and producing the supply for total lack of demand, since it's taking people's jobs, and they won't be able to afford any of the products being produced since they don't have work. How's that for irony?
Hod Lipson wrote:
"Machines are better at learning than humans in many different areas. So now the question is, what will they learn and what's the end game?
"Are we talking about the future of jobs in the next five years, 10 years, 50 years or 100 years?
"If you're talking 100 years, there's no doubt in my mind that all jobs will be gone, including creative ones. And 100 years is not far in the future -- some of our children will be alive in 100 years."