10-08-2019, 12:51 PM
Robots have an amazing capacity to lessen the workload of people. Decreasing jobs and feeding people are not something I worry too much about - the jobs lost to robots I believe will open up more opportunities in different areas, mostly creative jobs: writing, photography, music, etc.
I also believe robots made for farming should increase the food production of the planet and feed more people.
What concerns me is that robots have certain weaknesses: namely a limited ability to adapt. Their dependence on electricity could also a major downfall.
As food production grows more homogenized, with more farms producing the same types of food, we become vulnerable to disaster. Evolution could greet us with a fungus or insect that feeds heavily on corn and rice for example, and the robot farmers that only know how to grow one thing one way may not be able to overcome. A massive solar flare, like the one that knocked out the world's electrical grid in the 1800s could wipe the disc of every computer on the planet and be catastrophic to our modern dependence on robots.
I believe the solution lies in simpler methods that kept people alive in ancient times. Every school might want a gardening class, or educate students on foraging in the wild. Local farms could return to a variety of foods grown rather than a single crop, and begin restoring the diversity we had 200 years ago. Homes subject to cold environments might include a wood stove or fireplace.
I see no problems with a robotic workforce as long as systems are in place to protect us against robotic failure and human dependence.
I also believe robots made for farming should increase the food production of the planet and feed more people.
What concerns me is that robots have certain weaknesses: namely a limited ability to adapt. Their dependence on electricity could also a major downfall.
As food production grows more homogenized, with more farms producing the same types of food, we become vulnerable to disaster. Evolution could greet us with a fungus or insect that feeds heavily on corn and rice for example, and the robot farmers that only know how to grow one thing one way may not be able to overcome. A massive solar flare, like the one that knocked out the world's electrical grid in the 1800s could wipe the disc of every computer on the planet and be catastrophic to our modern dependence on robots.
I believe the solution lies in simpler methods that kept people alive in ancient times. Every school might want a gardening class, or educate students on foraging in the wild. Local farms could return to a variety of foods grown rather than a single crop, and begin restoring the diversity we had 200 years ago. Homes subject to cold environments might include a wood stove or fireplace.
I see no problems with a robotic workforce as long as systems are in place to protect us against robotic failure and human dependence.