Would You Bet Against Sex Robots? AI 'Could Leave Half Of World Unemployed'

Machines could put more than half the world's population out of a job in the next 30 years, according to a computer scientist who said on Saturday that artificial intelligence's threat to the economy should not be understated. Vardi, a professor at Rice University and Guggenheim fellow, said that technology presents a more subtle threat than the masterless drones that some activists fear. He suggested AI could drive global unemployment to 50%, wiping out middle-class jobs and exacerbating inequality. "Humanity is about to face perhaps its greatest challenge ever, which is finding meaning in life after the end of 'in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread'," he said. "We need to rise to the occasion and meet this challenge."

Comments

Re:Two things:

[ColdWetDog]

If computers get to powerful, we can organize them into a committee.

That will do them in.

Re:Its always been like this

[PopeRatzo]

Domesticated farm animals put people out of business.

And in some parts of the country, sex robots will put domestic farm animals out of work.

Re: "Sex robots will put 50% of world out of work"

[ChunderDownunder]

When the jobs disappear, the most stable career path will be the world's oldest profession - servicing the insatiable sexual appetites of an expanding robot middle class.