Re: Does capitalism have a future?

Always is a long time. Even today there are examples of automation and
iteration being used to design such things as computer software and
integrated circuits. Neural networks are self modifying computer
algorithms that use feedback to adjust their own functionality
autonomously. Simple computer programs have been created with no human
input at all, by running scenarios that mimic evolution. The computer
scientists define the environmental factors that influence the
"survival" of the code, then they allow the programming to run wild.
The algorithms are programed to self-modify, and even mate with other
algorithms combining their respective code into new algorithms. Then
the computer scientists sit back and and let random chance, and
billions of iterations evolve algorithms that are well-adapted for the
environmental constraints they specified at the beginning. It's not
unlike the idea of an infinite number of monkeys with typewriters given
an infinite amount of time will produce all the works of Shakespeare,
purely by random chance.

Complete obsolesence of humanity would probably require the development
of artificial machine intelligence. But even without reaching that
extreme stage, we are still headed for a time when the vast majority of
human beings are largely superfluous. It's already happening. As you
said, the uneducated are in serious trouble. These people are being
pushed into a smaller and smaller relevance in our society that only
values people that produce something. There are fewer opportunities for
these people to competitively produce anything. How many walmart
greeters and burger flippers does the world really need? What happens
when even those jobs are eliminated by technological advance?

This doesn't have to be a grim future. It could be a future where most
people are basically free from the need to work for their survival, and
could instead spend their time on leisure, self-improvement, or
whatever floats their boat. However, our economic system has to adjust
to reflect that different reality. Our economic system is still rooted
in a sort of medieval european model where effort is rewarded. When
that human effort is no longer needed or desired, something must take
its place.

.

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