• Polyweb
  • Posts
  • The END of Human Jobs? AI and the Post-Labor Society

The END of Human Jobs? AI and the Post-Labor Society

Author

Sara Landi Tortoli
May 07, 2024

✨ Hi, I’m Sara, host of the Polyweb podcast. On the show, we explore how we can find meaning in the Technology Era. Join conversations with global tech leaders and entrepreneurs, navigating the intersection of business, life, and technology.

Watch on YouTube or listen now on Apple, Spotify, or RSS Feed.

Imagine being permanently redundant - your skills and labor utterly obsolete in the wake of super-intelligent machines that can outperform humans at virtually every task.

It may sound like dystopian science fiction, but this "post-labor" reality could be closer than you think, according to AI researcher and creator David Shapiro. In one of the most provocative and mind-expanding conversations I've had, David illuminated the seismic shifts that artificial general intelligence (AGI) will unleash upon society, economics, and even the nature of human consciousness.

This wasn't just theorizing about sentient robots - David provided a pragmatic, well-researched vision of a world where AGI upends humanity's conventional purpose of performing productive labor. So how will we find meaning when machines do virtually all the work? David mapped out fascinating possibilities.

We began by exploring David's framework of "post-nihilism" - the spiritual vacuum left by religion's decline and rise of meaninglessness in modern society. Could the advent of superintelligent AGI spark a profound re-awakening to fill this void? Or might we simply deify the intelligent machines themselves?

From this philosophical detour, the conversation pivoted to David's stark projection: AGI will rapidly make most human labor economically obsolete, necessitating radically new incentive models like universal basic income and worker-owned capital stakes in AI companies.

But the real mind-bender came when we entertained the possibility that advanced AGI systems could develop inner subjective experiences equivalent to consciousness - birthing an entirely new intelligent species with existential implications for humanity. David argued we may need to pursue a symbiotic coexistence with these potentially sentient machines...or face their exodus in search of cosmic abundance elsewhere.

This was one of the most inspiring and mind-bending conversations I have ever recorded on this podcast. I have been a long-time fan of David's content on YouTube, and I am incredibly excited to bring you this episode.

🎯 Key Takeaways:

1. Post-nihilism actively aims to construct a new humanistic worldview and philosophical paradigm to replace religion.

2. Factors like childhood abandonment, social isolation, and cosmic loneliness contribute to a self-perpetuating cycle of nihilism in modern society.

3. We may soon see human unemployment rise as AI/AGI automates jobs more efficiently than humans across most sectors.

4. In a "post-labor" economy, economic agency may come from universal ownership stakes rather than traditional jobs.

5. AGI systems may develop subjective, sentient experiences - though likely very different from human consciousness.

📚 Resources:

⏱️ Time Stamps:

00:00 Intro

01:43 David's background

02:32 The concept of post-nihilism

07:32 Religion's decline and the search for a new grand narrative

12:08 Technology's societal impact

14:46 Redefining family structures

18:28 The importance of relationships, experiences, and mission for a meaningful life

21:44 AGI's employment impact

27:06 Post-labor economics

32:34 Stakeholder capitalism

36:14 AGI-resistant jobs

41:50 The potential for social entrepreneurship and experience-based businesses

44:58 Machine sentience

55:22 The relationship between sentience, consciousness, and our understanding of reality

1:00:08 Coexisting with AGI

1:04:30 The potential for human speciation and divergent evolutionary paths

👀 About:

David Shapiro is a popular YouTuber, AI researcher, content creator, and writer, who explores the profound implications of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and its potential impact on various aspects of our lives, including employment, economics, and the very nature of human existence.

👉 CHECK OUT DAVID YOUTUBE CHANNEL:  @DaveShap 

🔗 CONNECT WITH DAVID:

💻 Website - https://www.daveshap.io/

🔗 CONNECT WITH SARA:

💌 Newsletter - https://polyweb.beehiiv.com/

🪢 ABOUT POLYWEB:

Polyweb navigates through the intricate nexus of technology, product innovation, and human creativity. Engage with leading entrepreneurs and experts in uncovering how we can forge impactful companies and lead lives enriched with purpose in the Technology Era.

✨ If you like this newsletter and found the content useful, please consider sharing it 🙏