In the Lexus factory there are just two people left working. One monitors the processes in the factory hall. The other one drives the car from the assembly train to the parking lot. The car itself is built entirely by robots.
My father in law always shines, when he tells about it. Himself he used to work in a department with forty accountants. Now there only are two left to do the same work. The second one being there to replace the first during illness or holidays. The rest is automated. That's why my father in law has gone with an early pension, and now is touring the world.
Automation is everywhere. The robots are coming. They start doing all the monotonous and heavy jobs for us. And if we like, they may be able to do much more.
Does that mean we will all be able to enjoy superfluous wealth, and that we will hardly have to work for it anymore?
I fear not. The robots and computers will most probably be bought by large investors. And they will reap the profits, beceuse they will need to hire fewer people. They are the ones that at first will become richer.
Those that will be fired may be compensated if they are lucky. Those that will no longer be hired will not. And those who never had to do anything with the production at all will be none the wiser either. Except maybe in that products may be cheaper, as they are produceed more efficiently. By robots. But whetheer they will be able to buy the products, that's the question.
Many people will lose their jobs because of the robots. And those who do not work, those who don't have jobs, seem to have no right to money. And those who do not have money, cannot live. At least not within the current system.
Then it will not be a world where hardly anyone has to work, and everyone lives in wealth. Instead it will be a world where no one may work, and almost all have to live in poverty.
Think about it.
That is why we have to revise our ideas about fair distribution of income, wealth, and about our work ethic. Or we may be too late.
Picture: Kuka Roboter, Augsburg
