35 replies to this topic

[Mind]

Geoffrey Hinton has concluded the same that I have - that if AI continues on its current path - most people will end up poorer (not in an era of radical abundance).

 

I suspect the tech billionaires will change the framing to deflect form the fact that they are getting rich while not producing "radical abundance for all". They will claim there is "radical mobility" to deflect from the fact that normal people will no longer be able to own their own cars, but rather have to rent and share vehicles. Mobility-as-a-service will drain the meager wages of most people.

 

 

[adamh]

Contrary to your statements, things are not getting more expensive, they are getting cheaper and better. What you always overlook, even though I point it out frequently, is that adjusted for inflation, prices are lower in most cases than ever before.

 

A good example is computers. Today you can get a computer that is 1000 times faster and has 1000 times the memory and storage as you could buy 30 years ago yet it is about the same amount in dollars which means its 1000 times better yet cheaper. These are facts and moaning that nothing is abundant does not change the facts. You will ignore that or say "I don't care about computers" but the same is true of tv's, phones and many other things. 

 

The average car 30 years ago did not have cruise control, radar, collision avoidance, or navigation. According to you, things are getting worse

 

The average person of today has more luxuries than a rich person had 100 years ago.

[Mind]

Contrary to your statements, things are not getting more expensive, they are getting cheaper and better. What you always overlook, even though I point it out frequently, is that adjusted for inflation, prices are lower in most cases than ever before.

 

A good example is computers. Today you can get a computer that is 1000 times faster and has 1000 times the memory and storage as you could buy 30 years ago yet it is about the same amount in dollars which means its 1000 times better yet cheaper. These are facts and moaning that nothing is abundant does not change the facts. You will ignore that or say "I don't care about computers" but the same is true of tv's, phones and many other things. 

 

The average car 30 years ago did not have cruise control, radar, collision avoidance, or navigation. According to you, things are getting worse

 

The average person of today has more luxuries than a rich person had 100 years ago.

 

The point is that the average person CANNOT afford a new computer (because they have to spend their discretionary wages on a phone, probably). They cannot afford a new car. If most people cannot afford the products, and they don't have them, then they are not experiencing "radical abundance". It is only "abundance" for the wealthy.

 

It doesn't matter if the price of a new car went down to $10,000 or $1,000, if the people cannot afford to buy them - that is not radical abundance. Our grandparents COULD afford a new car (even 2 new cars), a second vacation home, new appliances, a boat, a nice house, good health care, etc... The average person nowadays cannot even dream about owning all of those things.

[adamh]

"The point is that the average person CANNOT afford a new computer"

 

Really? you can buy a computer now days for as little as $300 or $400 and if thats too much, there are used computers for less. The smartphone is a computer that most people have. The average household has a computer, a phone, ac and many other things

 

Who was it that promised you "radical abundance" that you yearn for? No one told me I would get everything free or super cheap one day, who was it that told you that? AI and robotics have the promise of a great economic boom but no one said it would come in a couple years or less. The industrial revolution brought a much higher standard of living that you can't deny but it didn't happen overnight. It took decades to filter through the economy.

 

Modern day luddites want to take us back to primitive times and reject any advancements. Today they are against AI, a while back they were against the assembly line and automation. When the computer came out, they moaned about losing jobs, said the computer will take over. You were probably saying the same things. Now its AI and robotics that will take our jobs. When we perfect fusion energy you will gripe about that, no doubt.

 

You moan about a broken promise some mysterious person allegedly made to you. Tell us who told you those things?

You moan about a broken promise some mysterious person allegedly made to you

[Mind]

 

 

Who was it that promised you "radical abundance" that you yearn for?

 

Pretty much every tech billionaire has promised "radical abundance" (for many years now). I have already provided examples. Ray Kurzweil is famous for predicting abundance. Here is another example from Demis Hassabis where he explicitly states that there will be "radical abundance".

Edited by Mind, 06 October 2025 - 02:33 PM.

[Mind]

AI is making a lot of previously wealthy people even more obscenely wealthy, while the vast majority of people are falling behind and can't even afford basic groceries.

 

The "American Dream" is out of reach for most young people.

 

Where is the abundance?