Addressing Our Needs: A Thought Experiment

While job displacement from accelerating automation may be our most urgent problem, we have many others. The purpose of this thought experiment is to consider what kind of integrated solution might address the majority of these at once. Regarding the threat of worker displacement and social unrest posed by accelerating automation, I submit that in a pragmatic solution we will want to:

• Allow existing economic engines to continue to function
• Find a way to embrace rather than oppose or limit the fruits of technological progress
• Meet the basic needs of everyone on the planet
• Offer meaning, self-esteem and the chance for social recognition to people, regardless of whether they work or do not
• Support the desires of the wealthy and powerful such that they do not oppose the solution

In order to address other vital issues, we will also want the following in a solution:

• Environmental restoration, preferably as a byproduct of economic growth rather than as a drag upon it
• Effectively unlimited, sustainable sources of clean energy and raw materials
• Effective and economical recycling using advanced technology
• An effective way to provide for security and safety without sacrificing much liberty
• Representative government that naturally avoids gridlock and partisanship, while protecting a codified set of common values
• Education that prepares children for adult rights and responsibilities, including citizenship
• Entertainment that is safe and provides the full range of exploration of interests and desires
• Physical structures that enhance rather than detract from natural beauty
• Institutions that serve to support and cultivate a finer quality of life
• A way to protect the elderly, the young, and others unable to care for themselves
• A means of minimizing disease transmission into the society
• A method of supporting technological progress that captures the value while minimizing risks

Further, I submit that to enhance feasibility any viable solution should be:

• Straightforward to test and then to implement, requiring no new technology
• Designed with the risk of failure contained and financially modest
• To minimize cost and logistical challenges, preferably testable on a local basis and ideally via simulation before being physically tested.

I close with the following questions:

• Is this a complete statement of requirements?
• If the above is what a desirable solution should accomplish, how can we accomplish this in an integrated manner?

I have proposed one possible solution that I believe meets the above criteria. I invite you to consider these criteria and then agree, disagree or propose your own. Many of our problems need new thinking, and especially those problems associated with technological unemployment.