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[–] SiWofos 0 points 24 points (+24|-0) ago 

This is a visible part of the process of the de-skilling and automating of various sectors of the economy. Taxi driving was a highly skilled job, with the most highly trained drivers having noticeably different brain structures from the general population (i.e., enlarged hippocampus). Automation is inevitable (particularly of auto-mobiles: GPS is just the beginning of the end of the taxi driver). It's a tool to produce abundance (here taxi rides) for little effort (or much lower cost). We need to start thinking now about what to do when large sections of the population are unemployable (or employable at only a much lower level) -- through no fault of their own.

More broadly, we're heading toward a future where, for most jobs, Humans Need Not Apply.

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[–] Ragnar1234 4 points 10 points (+14|-4) ago 

Driving a taxi has never been a "highly skilled job." Heart surgeon, CPA, and master electrician are examples of highly skilled jobs that require years of training and certification.

I agree with you that automation will continue to improve productivity and remove the need for humans at many menial tasks. I disagree with you on the idea that large sections of the population will be unemployed against their will. Humans are one of the most adaptable species on the planet and I have faith that they will be able to continue to adapt to the ever changing labor market as automation continues to rollout. It most certainly will have periods of time when people are making the initial transition that will be difficult and uncomfortable for many, but as a whole humans will continue to adapt and overcome their surroundings.

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[–] SiWofos 0 points 13 points (+13|-0) ago 

I wouldn't be so dismissive: London cab drivers must learn routes all over the city during 34 months of training, and then must pass a series of tests. They have a very specialized skill, the constant practice of which (as I said above) actually alters their brain structure.

However, all this skill and training are now practically worthless in the face of GPS. That represents a tough transition for the old-school drivers. The cheaper fares of uber come at a cost of replacing these well trained, skilled, highly paid people by lower-paid but better-equipped drivers with smart phones.

Making people poorer for the sake of cheap things for everyone is something that I feel uneasy about, despite it being the accepted path of "progress".

By the way, did you watch the video I linked (Humans Need Not Apply)? It articulates very well the point I'm trying to make.

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[–] pepepepepe 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

I'm sick of this automation doomsday scare mongering. When human labor demand is removed by automation they can be re-purposed elsewhere. It's not going to eat away at all our labor markets until we're all jobless. People will develop some new idea that needs a new labor market, people will come flooding in, efficiency will improve, and automation edges humans out. Until robots are superior in every way to humans and we reach a post-scarcity society there is no need to drastically alter our economics.

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[–] Br0k3nsn0fl6k32 0 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago 

I think you mean "highly specialized", otherwise agree 100% with your writing.

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[–] itshappening- ago 

There is nothing to do... It's musical chairs. Since the 1970's there have been various attempts at adding more chairs, but the store room is out of chairs and the music is so worn the record is starting to skip. Better leave the dance before they turn off the lights.

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[–] TheBeesTrees ago 

We'd better start accepting that hateful word "socialism" before too long here. Otherwise we're going to have 95% of the human population squatting on the 5%'s robotic spa's and solar array suites.