Allan M. Joaquin, MBA, CPDM
To quote Mr. Kurtz from Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness: “The horror! The horror!”
Mr. Bill Gates, the erstwhile richest man in the world, says that within 10 years AI will replace many of us and that humans “won’t be needed for most things.”
This, as I see it, might be the end of civilization as we know it. It is a truly horrible future for mankind.
This is going to happen because companies see it as a cost-effective way to operate their businesses. It is akin to building a highway and collecting toll fees for everyone who uses it. Invest once and then see the profits grow.
But is it not counterproductive to remove most of the people’s income and then expect them to buy their goods and services? With no disposable income since their work has been made obsolete by AI, there will be no consumers. Who the hell will companies produce their goods for? With no income themselves, production will grind to a halt.
Being up-to-date with technology is good. Starving citizens are not.
My daughter, who is in high school, wants to take up nursing. But with what Mr. Gates said about robots taking over even in health care, I am starting to think what is the point?
The horror! The horror!