Would you choose a fully automated society if UBI freed us from work?

[Bianca_Italy]

Assuming that governments worldwide manage to integrate UBI to keep capitalism alive (it is in the interest of the rich that citizens have buying power for the survival of capitalism, UBI is not a fairy tale for the naive, even though making it work would be a challenge), would you like an automated society?

I have thought about this multiple times, and I must say that I would like it; I think that the current model of society deprives people of time and physical and mental energy that could be invested into what actually matters and bring happiness; without the obligation of work, people would rediscover the pleasure of human connection, hobbies, and art. It would be a rather logical consequence.

I'm not lazy, I'm a coder and I'm studying to become a software engineer; even though I genuinely enjoy coding and I genuinely find fulfillment in my career, I'd totally prefer an automated society that gives people free time.

[Chazmatazz269]

It’s never going to happen. Too many morons scream “SOCIALISM!!!” like Chicken Little every time you suggest any kind of policy that benefits the working class and poor to a greater extent than the capitalist pigs.
That is, after all, why the pigs have spent so much time, energy and money grooming third world countries for all of the major industries to move there. Nearly unlimited cheap and entirely unregulated labor, plus nearly three BILLION potential consumers in India and China alone. Trust me when i tell you that the capitalists are all too happy to completely turn their backs on the US entirely and let us kill each other trying to survive while they rake in trillions overseas. They will NEVER concede the kinds of taxes that would be necessary to make UBI effective in a nation as large and populated as the US. Even if we can elect people who would make it happen, the pigs will pack up and leave entirely. We let them get away with too much for too long and there’s absolutely no way to stop them now without the state completely seizing all means of production. Even if our government was 100% altruistic and perfectly efficient, socialism has never been done effectively on a large scale. But our government is simultaneously inept and corrupt. They would f*ck it all up just like they’re f*cking up capitalism now.
It doesn’t matter what system you put in place, the rich always get richer and the poor always get poorer. There has never been an exception in all of human history.

[shish_kebab]

It's going to happen whether people want it to or not. It's just a matter of time. People have been working towards this for thousands of years.

Is this woman lazy for wanting a washer and dryer? Or does that make her smart? We all want machines to do the work for us. Some people just have a hard time letting go the income part of that.
Being a software engineer isn't going to shield you from the inevitable. Yeah I can write all the stuff where you want right now.
Physical jobs will be the last to go.

[shish_kebab]

I didn't mean I can write the software, I meant AI can.

[Bianca_Italy]

You missed my point. I’m not just talking about using machines to make life easier or reduce physical labor. My focus is on what happens to us once that time is freed up.
The current model of society consumes all of our time and energy, which is a major cause of modern loneliness and burnout. I am advocating for a structural shift: using automation not just for efficiency, but to liberate human time so people can finally rediscover human connection, hobbies, and art. It's about changing how we live and relate to one another, not just upgrading our tools.
As for coding, I know AI is advancing fast. But even if software engineering is automated, I would still prefer that future because it means everyone gets their time back.

[Bianca_Italy]

You are drastically overestimating current AI and underestimating coders. AI has no big-picture vision; it constantly hallucinates and makes things up. In programming, a single line of code out of thousands can break an entire system, and AI does not have the awareness to realize it. You still need a human coder who actually understands the logic to guide the tool, catch its errors, and glue everything together. AI speeds us up, but it is not yet enough to replace coders, and you are probably underestimating how difficult it is to create a reliable AI.

[shish_kebab]

I didn't miss your point at all. I've been reading about this for years. The universal basic income is 30 to 40 years away and by then you will be replaced by AI whether you like it or not.

[FreyaRed]

Yes. Work is slavery even if you earn in one day average monthly wage. But this will never happen

[RavVid]

It is called the dole. Most people want more than that.

[Bianca_Italy]

There is a difference between being unemployed due to incompetence or laziness in a world where most people work, and not working because the world is automated and society is built differently.

[RavVid]

For the later, you need it to not be possible to work. If it is possible to work than I will have more than you and society will be tiered.

[exitseven]

I don't know. Without purpose people would whither and die

[Anonymous]

Slow down a little bit

[Bianca_Italy]

Why? A. I is a current topic, not fantasy.