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AI will create 'useless class' of humans

theguardian.com

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Re: AI will create 'useless class' of humans

#3

Post by dalke »

yehosef wrote: post #2

Typo - "AI will expand 'useless class' of humans"

Indeed. We have little need now for elevator operators.

But 100 years ago, when steam, electricity, and wide-spread mechanization of the previous decades had brought huge advantages in efficiency, the thought was that there would be increased leisure, and the time to pursue the activities which make us more human, like friendship, raising children, hobbies, and more serious avocations. Or watching TV, playing video games, and getting high.

This isn't the "useless class" but the "leisure class." Of course, quoting from the article:

> Harari, it turns out, has a specific definition of useless. “I choose this very upsetting term, useless, to highlight the fact that we are talking about useless from the viewpoint of the economic and political system, not from a moral viewpoint,”

If you get to pick your definitions, you get to say what you want.

Re: AI will create 'useless class' of humans

#4

Post by LionessLover »

dalke wrote: post #3
yehosef wrote: post #2

Typo - "AI will expand 'useless class' of humans"

Indeed. We have little need now for elevator operators. But 100 years ago, when steam, electricity, and wide-spread mechanization of the previous decades had brought huge advantages in efficiency, the thought was that there would be increased leisure, and the time to pursue the activities which make us more human, like friendship, raising children, hobbies, and more serious avocations. Or watching TV, playing video g…

> If you get to pick your definitions, you get to say what you want.

The term "useless" is inherently relative. The universe does not have a natural position on "usefulness". So yes, you do get to make it to mean whatever you want it to be. That is not a basis to criticize anyone - any framework you choose to set a basis is itself arbitrary. Unless you believe in some "higher purpose", where all discussion ceases to be meaningful because nothing can be proven and you can claim whatever you want, and the loudest and/or strongest "wins".

Re: AI will create 'useless class' of humans

#6

Post by badminton1 »

It's not that they will be useless, it's just that their use does not make financial sense.

AI replaces humans when:

- AI is able to perform a new human intelligence task

- Perform at a human level of reliability

- Perform at a cost-effective level

- It is wrapped in form of a product or service that makes it easy to distribute and deploy

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