The bigger issue is not automation, but human intelligence. For a long time there were many jobs available that paid a living wage, but required minimal schooling and could be done by someone with an IQ of 94 or more. Technology has created a sea of new jobs, but those jobs typically require a minimum IQ of 106, meaning half of the adults simply don’t have the native intelligence to do the job.
The U.S. economy added 263,000 jobs in April, notching a record 103 straight months of job gains and signaling the current economic expansion shows little sign of stalling.
What a crock. For about the past year, there have been more job positions available than there have been job seekers.
And if you want to be an electrician, plumber, or tradesman you could practically write your own ticket in many places. And despite the blithering, bloviating talking heads on TV “news” lots of jobs have been increasing.
For the un-trained there’s even tons of truck driving jobs. Although you need a CDL and can’t smoke weed when you have one.
@martens • Statistically good news. Behind the statistics we have the details and facts OldCoal has thoughtfully provided above.
The “jobs” weather today might be just fine.
The long term career climate change is daunting.
The human brain can do most of what our computers do for us, just not as fast. The Apollo 13 astronauts had their complex orbital re-entry worked out with pencil & paper before NASA’s computer programmers provided the data.
Our intellects will atrophy if they are not required.
What kind of jobs are available today for the hardworking average? Why is income inequality at its widest margin in 100 years? Why are our best educated unable to repay their student loans? What field does the typical liberal arts B.A. go into? Suppose the U.S. and all other “first world” countries go fully technical, even the average & below average folk. Where does that leave the other 85% of humanity?
If computers and their programmers are the future of intellectual & vocational accomplishment, where does that leave the development and challenge for the human mind?
Stephen Hawking’s final gift to us was a well reasoned call to be on guard about the inevitable misuse of A.I.
If machines can do it all, what do they need us for?
Um, did any of you read the papers today? Maybe you missed the fact that unemployment is at 50-year low. I guess this cartoon is an off-the-shelf thing from the Obama years.
Heavy assembly line work is already gone, as are transcription jobs, repetitive machining and lots of others. The analogy to telephone operators is apt: At first, we needed expert operators. Then we needed pleasant customer-friendly operators. Now we’re back to needing experts (and darn few of them). There are still going to be jobs, maybe even lots of jobs, but they will be the ones that cannot be outsourced to (India): Hands on, local things: Hair dressers, nurses, building trades, craftspeople, knowledgeable store clerks, maybe even people to answer the phone instead of the damned phone tree. And seriously expert jobs: Top-level programmers, mechanics, medical experts, police… and artists. The jobs we won’t have are mostly the ones nobody much liked anyway: janitor, bus driver… rote jobs or jobs that an AI can learn to do very well.
All bets are off if / when mobile semi-huminoid robotic AIs come into existence. I hope they want to keep us around as pets if nothing else.
Poor Steve, Of all days to publish this absurd attempt at humor when the April jobs report shows the best employment figures this country has ever seen: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/03/business/economy/jobs-report-april.html
RAGs almost 5 years ago
Maybe that is why Trump likes emoluments. If too many people lose their jobs, his feed trough might dry up.
• Thomas almost 5 years ago
Welcome to the machine.
If it comes down to us or ‘them’, who or what will you fight for?
wiatr almost 5 years ago
We’ve finally gotten to the point all the pundits back in the ’50s went on about and nobody is ready for it.
tbemont Premium Member almost 5 years ago
Read “Player Piano” by Kurt Vonnegut. He said this in what I think was the 1950’s in his first novel.
Zebrastripes almost 5 years ago
No one to blame but ourselves…the human race outsmarted itself…..
Darsan54 Premium Member almost 5 years ago
Time to look seriously at universal basic income if you want a working economy.
Teto85 Premium Member almost 5 years ago
We should be educating future robotics technicians not burger flippers.
thelordthygod666 almost 5 years ago
The bigger issue is not automation, but human intelligence. For a long time there were many jobs available that paid a living wage, but required minimal schooling and could be done by someone with an IQ of 94 or more. Technology has created a sea of new jobs, but those jobs typically require a minimum IQ of 106, meaning half of the adults simply don’t have the native intelligence to do the job.
martens almost 5 years ago
8.6 years of job gains in the US.
The U.S. economy added 263,000 jobs in April, notching a record 103 straight months of job gains and signaling the current economic expansion shows little sign of stalling.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/05/03/us-economy-added-jobs-april-unemployment-fell-percent-lowest-since/
Holden Awn almost 5 years ago
The real endgame comes when, as the number of workers falls, the pension checks to retirees get reduced or cease.
"It's the End of the World!!!" Premium Member almost 5 years ago
What a crock. For about the past year, there have been more job positions available than there have been job seekers.
And if you want to be an electrician, plumber, or tradesman you could practically write your own ticket in many places. And despite the blithering, bloviating talking heads on TV “news” lots of jobs have been increasing.
For the un-trained there’s even tons of truck driving jobs. Although you need a CDL and can’t smoke weed when you have one.
• Thomas almost 5 years ago
@martens • Statistically good news. Behind the statistics we have the details and facts OldCoal has thoughtfully provided above.
The “jobs” weather today might be just fine.
The long term career climate change is daunting.
The human brain can do most of what our computers do for us, just not as fast. The Apollo 13 astronauts had their complex orbital re-entry worked out with pencil & paper before NASA’s computer programmers provided the data.
Our intellects will atrophy if they are not required.
What kind of jobs are available today for the hardworking average? Why is income inequality at its widest margin in 100 years? Why are our best educated unable to repay their student loans? What field does the typical liberal arts B.A. go into? Suppose the U.S. and all other “first world” countries go fully technical, even the average & below average folk. Where does that leave the other 85% of humanity?
If computers and their programmers are the future of intellectual & vocational accomplishment, where does that leave the development and challenge for the human mind?
Stephen Hawking’s final gift to us was a well reasoned call to be on guard about the inevitable misuse of A.I.
If machines can do it all, what do they need us for?
newyorkslim almost 5 years ago
Um, did any of you read the papers today? Maybe you missed the fact that unemployment is at 50-year low. I guess this cartoon is an off-the-shelf thing from the Obama years.
Concretionist almost 5 years ago
Heavy assembly line work is already gone, as are transcription jobs, repetitive machining and lots of others. The analogy to telephone operators is apt: At first, we needed expert operators. Then we needed pleasant customer-friendly operators. Now we’re back to needing experts (and darn few of them). There are still going to be jobs, maybe even lots of jobs, but they will be the ones that cannot be outsourced to (India): Hands on, local things: Hair dressers, nurses, building trades, craftspeople, knowledgeable store clerks, maybe even people to answer the phone instead of the damned phone tree. And seriously expert jobs: Top-level programmers, mechanics, medical experts, police… and artists. The jobs we won’t have are mostly the ones nobody much liked anyway: janitor, bus driver… rote jobs or jobs that an AI can learn to do very well.
All bets are off if / when mobile semi-huminoid robotic AIs come into existence. I hope they want to keep us around as pets if nothing else.
bingobob almost 5 years ago
Poor Steve, Of all days to publish this absurd attempt at humor when the April jobs report shows the best employment figures this country has ever seen: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/03/business/economy/jobs-report-april.html