Yuval Noah Harari refers to an emerging "useless class", of those who are disrupted by technology but can't or won't develop skills to adapt. Is this a problem for companies, gov, or the individuals?

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The truth is 30% of stores and malls were being closed by Amazon BEFORE CoVid. And you think that technology and automation will stop with Retail? Lol once they can create a software program that makes it easier for 1 consultant at Deloitte to do the job of 3 they’ll get rid of you too.

The issue is the logic of the market is going to drive so many people out of jobs too fast, we optimize for one thing Capital Efficiency. First it’s manufacturing, retail, truckers, then it’s lawyers, accountants, etc

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Seems like it’s everyone’s problem. As someone in the tech space I’m an advocate for learning and applying tech skills where necessary but I also believe that designers and technologists creating the products that will disrupt existing jobs & processes should also be aware of the implications and build in solutions that enable disrupted populations easily and quickly adapt.

That should be the primary purpose outside of making profits.

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While I personally agree, I think as our current system exists it’s unrealistic to expect our companies to “clean up after themselves” like that.

It’s ultimately the role of the government to force better outcomes for the whole population, because it’s inevitably going to be “unprofitable” in the short term (3-5years).

For many, it’s realistically difficult to invest money and time to get trained for a new career when they’ve been doing the same thing for decades. I don’t think having a “useless class” is a problem. It’s just a change. Most jobs will become “useless” in the next century. Our society just needs to learn how to redistribute profits so that people can live comfortably without having to work, and find other ways in which people can contribute to the society.

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I'm not wild about phrases like "useless class". But the world is moving so quickly, and so many people are in jobs that are fast becoming irrelevant, it's a major problem for all of us. And I don't have a magic solution except to say that I think we have an ethical obligation to engage in helping to figure it out. And to emerge from this with new thinking about education, and how we can all become life long learners...you won't be able to learn something in a couple of years of trade school or 4 years of college, and expect that it will carry you for another 75 years of financially meaningful work (as life expectancy goes up).

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It’s not an unexpected attitude given the author’s background.

So why can’t new skill sets be developed by this class of disenfranchised labor? When you say “won’t” or “can’t” what do you mean? How can we help if they won’t upskill?

It’s been recognized for a long time as industrialization and computers persist. That factor is why for decades now a lot of think tanks have advocated for depopulation. They don’t actually need as many people to make a service economy work as we currently have in first world countries at the moment.

can you think of another word for depopulation????

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