We need to seize the means of robot production

3 min read Original article ↗

Technology has always been used to make heavy work feel lighter. Inventions like the wheel, the first washing machine, and the steam engine were designed to save us from backbreaking labor. The time saved during already long days left room for, well, more work.

But damn it, it was different work — another chore off the list. Of course, some tools put people out of work. But provided you were willing to turn your sweat toward something new, you'd likely be okay… or end up in a workhouse. The Poor Law is for another post, though. What I'm getting at is that new gadgets brought into the workplace often make things go more smoothly. Sometimes, however, folks wind up in the unemployment line or out on the street.

We've had centuries to figure this shit out — don't let anyone innovate you out of a job. But here we are. Artificial Intelligence is scrambling our brains and turning every meeting into a summary that should have been an email. And then there are robots. They're not in the news nearly as often unless we're making fun of them. But the metal buggers are sneaking in the back door, getting ready to kick us to the curb.

This 20-minute video could be the most morale-destroying thing you watch this week. Given what a dumpster fire the world is right now, that's saying something.