Robots and work

I am sure that in the future robots with advanced artificial intelligence will be utilized to do most of the jobs humans currently engage in. Today robots are being used in jobs that are dangerous (mining), monotonous (assembly line jobs), simple (cleaning floors in homes), or simply not within the capabilities of humans (space exploration). But I believe that with the advancement of robotics technology and artificial intelligence robots will even be capable of jobs that require intelligence and decision making. Okay, let's imagine that kind of world. Robots do most of the jobs that humans now do. Basically, that would mean two things:

One, people would have more time to devote themselves to important issues such as making clean and sustainable energy, finding cures for chronic illnesses, growing crops in ecologically healthy ways, fighting social problems, and the "make-the-world-a-better-place" list goes on. Of course, lots of devoted and hardworking people are currently involved in solving these issues but more support would definitely make a huge positive impact. We could educate more people in science and get them working on these issues which are of benefit to the whole world.

Secondly, people would have more spare time. Now to a lot of people that sounds quite unattractive. Why would I want to sit on my ass all day? When I probed the reaction of my students to my utopian future one of them said that he would not enjoy a world where he didn't have to work. He said "work gives meaning to our lives". When I further questioned him if he thought his job was meaningful he reluctantly admitted that it was not. So do we actually believe that work gives meaning to our lives? Or is it something that has been told to us by a society that is built on an economic model that is sustained through meaningless jobs and the pursuit of money and material wealth. Of course, there are people who have meaningful jobs. But aren't most of those jobs related to exactly the work I just mentioned. Jobs that have the aim of improving life. I would welcome a world where work would only be aimed at making life on earth healthier, more equal, and more environmentally sustainable. People work their backs off. But what of actual worth is actually gained from that?

That's where I see the robots coming in.

And I could take up meditating again.