Robots and communism
We hardly provide ourselves, earning a living. Because you need to earn not only for yourself, but also for our dependents - the elderly, the disabled, children. We do this out of solidarity with people. But soon we can all become dependents of robots. And the big question: will their masters remain in solidarity with us? Replacing manual and mental work with automated labor is a matter of time. With the advent of neural networks, an important milestone was overcome: the purely human ability to learn various skills was automated. Neural networks can learn everything we can tweak them to.
The robot, trained by the neural network, is much more productive than a human, does not need a bedroom and an office, sick leave and vacations, works 24/7, not 8/5. Therefore, he can provide not one, but several dependents. The robot must be maintained in working condition, repair, reconfigure. It costs money. A person does all this with himself, but for this he needs to pay a salary every month, and not just when he breaks down. Robots are ideal workers, completely subordinate to the owner. They do not strike, do not argue, do not suffer from the problem of choice, quickly retrain to a new workflow.
In general, robots are better, and in the pursuit of profit, no company owner can resist their acquisition. The competition will force to introduce robots even those who doubt or like to work with people. None of the owners of the companies will want to lag behind, because new technologies offer advantages in quality and cost. And people sooner or later, all or most, but remain without work. Of course, taxes will be levied on robotic industries to provide for the unemployed. And, by the way, it’s not a fact that then it will make sense to dismiss people everywhere: people-workers may be cheaper in some industries. But for the most part, robotized production will still be more profitable, since their speed is limited only by engineering thought, and not by the biological membrane of the worker. And such production will increasingly be consolidated in a corporation with factories in different parts of the world. Just because superiority in technology alone will not leave chances to other companies.
Such monopolies are already observed in the market of high-tech corporations. Examples of Google, Microsoft, Facebook prove: individual corporations can dominate entire industries. Because corporations can concentrate large revenues and implement a win-win strategy - to pour in more technology than other companies. And if some clever or start-up still manage to come up with something new, they just buy it, while the owner is happy even for a couple of million dollars. A startup is bought, only so that it does not threaten corporate earnings in the future, if there is even a small probability of this. It will be the same with robotic systems, in whatever form they may be. Because robots are also primarily programs. Dexterous manipulators have long been created, they lack the “brains”.
Owners of such corporations have to pay huge sums in taxes to the state in order to support the unemployed. And in this situation it is quite obvious: in fact they will rule the state, whether we like it or not. Oligarchism will only intensify in this situation. The owners of these corporations will become quasi-directors. Moreover, in contrast to the present, completely independent of society. Now people themselves work in corporations, and the latter depend, for example, on the availability of specialists, on their choice. A robot can always buy or download new software into it without asking for permission. There is no search and hunting of workers, there is just an order and programming of robots. The situation turns over - we are all becoming dependent on such corporations, because they no longer need us, but we are even more into them.
What can happen in this situation? Anything that is worth some master of the over-corporation of robots to seize other markets and present itself as a superman on whom all humans depend. Then Hitler with his Nazi ideas will seem to us a petty bully. Unfortunately, the brain of one person is very imperfect and vulnerable, no matter how genius he may be.
In order to prevent such a development of events, robotic corporations will have to be nationalized. In order not to wait for taxes from the new owners of life, but simply to withdraw them in the required amount. State corporations with all their shortcomings are just the lesser evil in this situation. The hired managers will do business for higher premiums, but the production will belong not to them, but to the society that lives on the money earned by robots. This is the only guarantee for the preservation of income and independence for citizens. In essence, this means social ownership of the means of production.
It will be allowed to have in private capacity only a small robotic production that feeds the owner’s family and gives a small profit. Private ownership of large robotized production facilities or of more than 90% automated companies, such as logistics, will be prohibited. If you decide to make the first fully automated fleet or warehouse - say goodbye to him in advance.
The development of productivity of such robotic enterprises is not very limited in time. So, sooner or later, it will be possible to extract as much profit from them as is necessary for the comfortable life of all citizens. They will receive the necessary funds not for work or merit, but according to the rights of citizens of the society that owns such a robotic production. Maybe it will not be just an unconditional income. It can lead to the complete degradation of the people themselves. Suggest that most people don’t work now, and I’m afraid they will not do what our bright future implies. After all, it is precisely joint activities that force us to be moral people, and not something else. Therefore, I think that income will be issued for some socially useful work. How are charity funds now doing? Such a fund will be the state itself. And it will turn out to be more interesting activity than just working in a warehouse - it will just take up robots. And people will develop new skills and open up new professions. And they will receive, regardless of the success of such activities, but simply for their talents, which they will be able to manifest for the public benefit. And already for this benefit. Anything, and for which now there is little or no pay.
Income may depend on participation in public affairs, in which the organizers themselves noted the citizen. You go to various charity events, you work as a volunteer - get income with additional bonuses. Still unconditional income may depend on compliance with public norms. He cursed in a public place, someone did not like it, he otchekinil it in the state application - received a penalty in the form of reduced benefits. A very useful application, by the way. Even laws should not be issued: it is only by statistics to see what citizens most dislike about each other’s behavior, and punish them for that.
But if it is, then it fully implements the principles of communism - from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs. And with full public ownership of tools. Maybe grandfather Lenin was not only a wild revolutionary, but also an amazing seer? True, at that time it was a completely utopian idea, and the word “robot” was only thought up.
At the beginning and in the middle of the last century, people fought and lived for the sake of the idea of communism, although they could not even imagine how it could be realized. There was no economic or technological idea of communism. There was only ideological. That's how much this idea of a happy, carefree future attracted people. Now we seem to acquire its economic features. Communism is becoming more real with new trends in technology. And maybe it's time to revive the very idea of technological communism? Why is this not a new, recently forgotten, national idea? Or worldwide? It will certainly unite everyone, regardless of cultural or ideological views. Everyone wants to live without heavy worries about their daily bread.
PS In edification of some commentators. If you have an opinion on the issue, it does not mean that the author is wrong. The author also has the right to the opinion set forth here. State your alternative opinion.
The robot, trained by the neural network, is much more productive than a human, does not need a bedroom and an office, sick leave and vacations, works 24/7, not 8/5. Therefore, he can provide not one, but several dependents. The robot must be maintained in working condition, repair, reconfigure. It costs money. A person does all this with himself, but for this he needs to pay a salary every month, and not just when he breaks down. Robots are ideal workers, completely subordinate to the owner. They do not strike, do not argue, do not suffer from the problem of choice, quickly retrain to a new workflow.
In general, robots are better, and in the pursuit of profit, no company owner can resist their acquisition. The competition will force to introduce robots even those who doubt or like to work with people. None of the owners of the companies will want to lag behind, because new technologies offer advantages in quality and cost. And people sooner or later, all or most, but remain without work. Of course, taxes will be levied on robotic industries to provide for the unemployed. And, by the way, it’s not a fact that then it will make sense to dismiss people everywhere: people-workers may be cheaper in some industries. But for the most part, robotized production will still be more profitable, since their speed is limited only by engineering thought, and not by the biological membrane of the worker. And such production will increasingly be consolidated in a corporation with factories in different parts of the world. Just because superiority in technology alone will not leave chances to other companies.
Such monopolies are already observed in the market of high-tech corporations. Examples of Google, Microsoft, Facebook prove: individual corporations can dominate entire industries. Because corporations can concentrate large revenues and implement a win-win strategy - to pour in more technology than other companies. And if some clever or start-up still manage to come up with something new, they just buy it, while the owner is happy even for a couple of million dollars. A startup is bought, only so that it does not threaten corporate earnings in the future, if there is even a small probability of this. It will be the same with robotic systems, in whatever form they may be. Because robots are also primarily programs. Dexterous manipulators have long been created, they lack the “brains”.
Owners of such corporations have to pay huge sums in taxes to the state in order to support the unemployed. And in this situation it is quite obvious: in fact they will rule the state, whether we like it or not. Oligarchism will only intensify in this situation. The owners of these corporations will become quasi-directors. Moreover, in contrast to the present, completely independent of society. Now people themselves work in corporations, and the latter depend, for example, on the availability of specialists, on their choice. A robot can always buy or download new software into it without asking for permission. There is no search and hunting of workers, there is just an order and programming of robots. The situation turns over - we are all becoming dependent on such corporations, because they no longer need us, but we are even more into them.
What can happen in this situation? Anything that is worth some master of the over-corporation of robots to seize other markets and present itself as a superman on whom all humans depend. Then Hitler with his Nazi ideas will seem to us a petty bully. Unfortunately, the brain of one person is very imperfect and vulnerable, no matter how genius he may be.
In order to prevent such a development of events, robotic corporations will have to be nationalized. In order not to wait for taxes from the new owners of life, but simply to withdraw them in the required amount. State corporations with all their shortcomings are just the lesser evil in this situation. The hired managers will do business for higher premiums, but the production will belong not to them, but to the society that lives on the money earned by robots. This is the only guarantee for the preservation of income and independence for citizens. In essence, this means social ownership of the means of production.
It will be allowed to have in private capacity only a small robotic production that feeds the owner’s family and gives a small profit. Private ownership of large robotized production facilities or of more than 90% automated companies, such as logistics, will be prohibited. If you decide to make the first fully automated fleet or warehouse - say goodbye to him in advance.
The development of productivity of such robotic enterprises is not very limited in time. So, sooner or later, it will be possible to extract as much profit from them as is necessary for the comfortable life of all citizens. They will receive the necessary funds not for work or merit, but according to the rights of citizens of the society that owns such a robotic production. Maybe it will not be just an unconditional income. It can lead to the complete degradation of the people themselves. Suggest that most people don’t work now, and I’m afraid they will not do what our bright future implies. After all, it is precisely joint activities that force us to be moral people, and not something else. Therefore, I think that income will be issued for some socially useful work. How are charity funds now doing? Such a fund will be the state itself. And it will turn out to be more interesting activity than just working in a warehouse - it will just take up robots. And people will develop new skills and open up new professions. And they will receive, regardless of the success of such activities, but simply for their talents, which they will be able to manifest for the public benefit. And already for this benefit. Anything, and for which now there is little or no pay.
Income may depend on participation in public affairs, in which the organizers themselves noted the citizen. You go to various charity events, you work as a volunteer - get income with additional bonuses. Still unconditional income may depend on compliance with public norms. He cursed in a public place, someone did not like it, he otchekinil it in the state application - received a penalty in the form of reduced benefits. A very useful application, by the way. Even laws should not be issued: it is only by statistics to see what citizens most dislike about each other’s behavior, and punish them for that.
But if it is, then it fully implements the principles of communism - from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs. And with full public ownership of tools. Maybe grandfather Lenin was not only a wild revolutionary, but also an amazing seer? True, at that time it was a completely utopian idea, and the word “robot” was only thought up.
At the beginning and in the middle of the last century, people fought and lived for the sake of the idea of communism, although they could not even imagine how it could be realized. There was no economic or technological idea of communism. There was only ideological. That's how much this idea of a happy, carefree future attracted people. Now we seem to acquire its economic features. Communism is becoming more real with new trends in technology. And maybe it's time to revive the very idea of technological communism? Why is this not a new, recently forgotten, national idea? Or worldwide? It will certainly unite everyone, regardless of cultural or ideological views. Everyone wants to live without heavy worries about their daily bread.
PS In edification of some commentators. If you have an opinion on the issue, it does not mean that the author is wrong. The author also has the right to the opinion set forth here. State your alternative opinion.
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