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The Fourth Industrial Revolution has arrived, but where is the future of mankind? With the rapid development of artificial intelligence and automation technology, we are entering an era of change, and all walks of life are facing unprecedented impact. A pressing question is: If machines can do it, what else can humans do?
The Fourth Industrial Revolution, characterized by artificial intelligence-driven automation, autonomous driving and robotics technology, has greatly improved productivity while also raising concerns about labor loss and economic structural adjustment.
A key issue in this transformation process is the potential imbalance between job disappearance and creation. Artificial intelligence-driven productivity could significantly reduce the demand for human labor, resulting in two possible outcomes:
Safety net-driven transformation: Governments provide basic income, retraining programs and lifelong learning opportunities to help workers adapt to new environments.
Fundamental economic transformation: moving towards a back-working society, separating income from work and adopting a demand-based distribution system.
Both approaches have proponents, but given that automation is developing at an unpredictable rate, the third approach— the gradual decoupling of income from labor —is receiving increasing attention.
Irreversibility of structural unemployment: The idea that unemployed workers can find new jobs through retraining cannot stand the test of history.
The development of artificial intelligence has rapidly surpassed human adaptability: A 45-year-old truck driver has difficulty learning machine learning in a short period of time, competing with artificial intelligence engineers, and there are not enough engineering positions to accommodate all unemployed workers.
Job replacement cannot be expanded: An AI-powered automation system can eliminate thousands of jobs, but it won’t create the same number of new jobs.
Historical precedent for failure: The failure rate of retraining programs for factory workers in the United States "Rust Zone" is over 60%, indicating that simple skills improvement plans are not enough when large-scale unemployment is unemployed.
The risks of delaying economic costs and low-income safety nets:
Possible "digital slums": If the government only provides a minimum basic income (e.g., $500 per month), it may be at risk of creating an intensified entitlement class without economic mobility.
Income inequality will expand: a handful of AI professionals may make millions of dollars, while most rely on government aid, exacerbating class division.
Technology achieves abundance: The biggest misunderstanding about universal basic income or demand-based distribution is that it is economically unsustainable. However, AI-driven automation is reducing the cost of essentials:
Agriculture: Artificial intelligence-driven vertical agriculture has reduced food production costs to nearly zero.
Housing: 3D home printing reduces construction costs to a small part of the traditional approach.
Energy: Renewable and AI-optimized grids are pushing energy costs to near zero levels.
When work shifts from supplying necessities to choosing income is no longer linked to labor, human work can be transferred to three key areas:
Creative Labor: Open source development, art and storytelling will flourish.
Emotional Labor: Interpersonal interactions in education, nursing and therapy will become more valuable.
Exploration and Innovation: Space exploration, deep-sea research and experimental science will attract talent.
A study from the University of Cambridge found that when basic financial needs are met, 70% still choose to work, but work less time and engage in more meaningful jobs.
Manual supervision in key industries: Revenue through the state equity fund.
Maturity period (30-50 years): Basic resource allocation driven by artificial intelligence, universal innovation rights.
Social resistance to change: Centuries of “labor ethics” may eventually be replaced by acceptance of the post-labor economy.
Solution: Educational and social supervision measures to redefine personal value beyond employment.
Corporate monopoly over artificial intelligence: Large tech companies may hoard automation profits.
Solution: Redistribute the wealth generated by artificial intelligence through a model similar to Norwegian funds.
Ensure post-labor society participation:
Risk: Massive unemployment can lead to widespread social indifference.
Solution: “Social Contribution Index”, participating in community services, innovation and creativity can produce benefits such as exclusive experiences (e.g., space travel).
The real question is not whether artificial intelligence will replace humans—it will. The problem is, we will redefine human values outside of work. If technology can eliminate scarcity, then sticking to an outdated economic model of how to connect survival to labor is counterproductive.
History has shown that society can abandon outdated labor structures—just like we abolish slavery. The next step in human progress is to ensure that artificial intelligence and automation serve human potential, rather than confining people to outdated concepts of productivity.
The challenge is not technical – but forward-looking. The transition from labor-driven survival to post-scarcity is not just about the economy; it is about redefining what it means to be human in the age of artificial intelligence.
The future is afraid of being eliminated - embracing liberation is not.
