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robertjbrown t1_jegwcuc wrote

Reply to comment by cyphersaint in In a post-scarcity utopia, is there a real necessity of human labor of any kind? by kvothekevin

>The fact is that people need interaction with people

That is your intuition, and probably most people's intuition. I think it is based on the fact that non-people have not, until november 2022, been able to have an intelligent, natural conversation with a person.

If you don't think ChatGPT is able to "have an intelligent, natural conversation with a person," here in 2023, I'm not going to argue. If you don't think that ChatGPT or some competitor will be able to do that in 2030, I think you lack imagination (and probably simply lack experience exploring what ChatGPT can actually do today).

But even if you are right, that people need to interact with people, that doesn't mean we need humans to prepare their meals, help them go to the bathroom and bathe (I definitely would prefer a robot to a human for that), get them around, make sure they take their medications, etc. If they need human interaction, what's wrong with the robot caretaker helping them get on video chat with their kids and grandkids, or with other elders who have similar needs for interaction?

I could certainly see an elder community where hundreds of residents have one or two paid humans to run everything, with the robots doing all the unpleasant and tedious stuff. Human interaction is handled not by paid staff, but by other residents.

Remember also that, in a society where most jobs can be done by machines, there are a whole lot more family members that have time to interact with their loved ones, rather than paying someone to come in and pretend to enjoy interacting with a very old person.

What specific thing does a caretaker do that must be a human?

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Closetpunkrocker t1_jegwcfp wrote

Reply to comment by thehourglasses in Futurology CMV - We are probably never going to see the changes envisioned by AI enthusiasts. by dja_ra

You miss the point. Were you around when Apple products first came to market? The internet? Did you say to yourself, “wow this will change life as we know it - it will reshape how we live our lives, the job market, the world economy” If you did, I hope you’re a billionaire by now. The point is, we are just on the cusp Al. As with past Technology revolutions, from where we sit today, the vast majority of people can’t possibly imagine what the possibilities will become. OP doesn’t think AI is a massive disruptor. I do.

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