Recession, Tech Kill Middle-Class Jobs 586
Un pobre guey writes
"'To understand the impact technology is having on middle-class jobs in developed countries, the AP analyzed employment data from 20 countries; tracked changes in hiring by industry, pay and task; compared job losses and gains during recessions and expansions over the past four decades; and interviewed economists, technology experts, robot manufacturers, software developers, entrepreneurs and people in the labor force who ranged from CEOs to the unemployed.' Their findings: Technology has consistently reduced the number of manufacturing jobs for 30 years; people with repetitive jobs have been easy to replace in the past, and task jugglers like managers and supervisors will be likely targets in the future; companies in the S&P 500 have expanded their business and increased profits, but reduced staffing, thanks to tech; and startups are launching much more easily these days. The response to the article includes the dutifully repeated bad-government-is-at-fault and don't-worry-it's-like-the-Industrial-Revolution memes. But what if this time it's different? What if delegating everything to machines is a radical and fundamental new change in the course of human history?"
Re:Income inequality (Score:3, Funny)
Trickle down - thats the rich pissing on the ever increasing poor classes.
Re:Chicken Littles (Score:5, Funny)
why not focus on the question of what we are going to do with all unskilled labor that is currently being replaced?
"Let them eat cake" as long as possible, followed, of course, by revolution. In this case, the revolution will, in fact, be televised. Probably won't fix anything, but not avoidable either.
Re:Chicken Littles (Score:5, Funny)
When we come up with a real Computer AI, wake me up to care about "middle class" jobs... until then why not focus on the question of what we are going to do with all unskilled labor that is currently being replaced?
The same thing we do every night after work.
We consume as much drugs as possible and watch TV.
Re:Chicken Littles (Score:5, Funny)
Oh Brain how far you have fallen
zort
Re:Chicken Littles (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Chicken Littles (Score:5, Funny)
The only difference I see between horses and the common man is that he or she can vote. ...
And literacy. And the ability to use tools. And the ability to communicate with language. And the ability to learn, think abstractly and plan for the future.
Aside from all that, the common man is just a dumb animal.
Do you think you're a super genius surrounded by idiots, per chance?