Issue Research
https://www.npr.org/2019/04/23/716521520/resistance-is-futile
Artificial intelligence, gene modification, and self-driving cars are causing fear and uncertainty about how technology is changing our lives. But humans have struggled to accept innovations throughout history. In this episode, we explore three innovations that transformed the world and show how people have adapted — and ask whether we can do the same today.
The question that the podcast is trying to answer is what is the history of automation and how could this be applied to today.
Important events: Coffees initial effects on society, The introduction of tractors to the U.S., The early days of the telephone
The issue of technological advancement
Research questions
- What are the dangers of new technologies
- Why do people fear technology
- How can it help us
- How will it change us
- Why do we need it
Bib/notes
Lewney, Richard, Eva Alexandri, and Donald Storrie.
"Technology scenario: employment implications of radical automation." (2019).
This is a study on the effects of automation and looked at some of the negative impacts of increasing wages to deal with automation. A correlation that was found was that automation and lob loss did exist but many of the ways people purpose to fix the issue of job loss because of automation
Jensen, Robert. "The Digital Provide: Information (Technology), Market Performance, and Welfare in the South Indian Fisheries Sector*." The Quarterly Journal of Economics 122.3 (2007): 879-924.
This showed some of the positive effects technology can have on people
Martens, Bertin and Tolan, Songül, Will This Time Be Different? A Review of the Literature on the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Employment, Incomes and Growth (November 26, 2018). JRC Digital Economy Working Paper 2018-08. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3290708or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3290708
This article compares the current work dilemma to others that have happened in the past.
Cover letter
The Rising Tide
An example of this was the creation of the engine in 1872 and later the car in 1886. These two innovations led to the creation of the tractor in 1892, this destroyed many farm jobs at a time when 40% of all jobs in America were on a farm, however, this led to the creation of the mechanic job which paid more and was more fulfilling to do. This cycle has happened many times over examples include the agricultural revolution, industrial revolution, Technical revolution and currently the digital revolution society has survived all of these advances so it would make sense that we could do it again. These shifts while displacing a great number of people ultimately gave most of them an alternative job that made them happier and moved the country technologically foreword. At this time people did not even know what a mechanic, train engineer, blacksmith, or a farmer was or that it was possible to be one. I believe that we are in a similar state currently with the age of computers and because of this, I don’t think that we are in the right place to make judgments about how the future of jobs will be. I think that instead of fighting machines we need to try and understand them and why they are being made before we judge.
An example of the technological change I think that we should look at is the bringing of cellphones to south Indian fisheries were “between 1997 and 2001 mobile phone service was introduced throughout Kerala”(Jensen 879; vol. 122.3) “We show that adoption of mobile phones by fisherman and wholesalers was associated with a dramatic reduction in price dispersion, the complete elimination of waste and near-perfect adherence to the law of one price”(Jensen 879; vol. 122.3). This study showed how technology can stabilize a market, create new jobs and not displace people. This is one of the reasons why shutting down technology will often not help people and make people, as well as innovation, stagnate. I believe A.I. is similar in many aspects to this because it would allow us to shift our focus onto other things while the machines make themselves better. This would make our industries more efficient and through that, we could generate income to help people at the bottom and bring them up to everyone else, giving the world more brains to solve problems and pushing society ahead while making people happy and fulfilled at the same time. To conclude the advancement of technology while scary and for some could push all of us foreword while lifting people up.
An example of this was the creation of the engine in 1872 and later the car in 1886. These two innovations led to the creation of the tractor in 1892, this destroyed many farm jobs at a time when 40% of all jobs in America were on a farm, however, this led to the creation of the mechanic job which paid more and was more fulfilling to do. This cycle has happened many times over examples include the agricultural revolution, industrial revolution, Technical revolution and currently the digital revolution society has survived all of these advances so it would make sense that we could do it again. These shifts while displacing a great number of people ultimately gave most of them an alternative job that made them happier and moved the country technologically foreword. At this time people did not even know what a mechanic, train engineer, blacksmith, or a farmer was or that it was possible to be one. I believe that we are in a similar state currently with the age of computers and because of this, I don’t think that we are in the right place to make judgments about how the future of jobs will be. I think that instead of fighting machines we need to try and understand them and why they are being made before we judge.
An example of the technological change I think that we should look at is the bringing of cellphones to south Indian fisheries were “between 1997 and 2001 mobile phone service was introduced throughout Kerala”(Jensen 879; vol. 122.3) “We show that adoption of mobile phones by fisherman and wholesalers was associated with a dramatic reduction in price dispersion, the complete elimination of waste and near-perfect adherence to the law of one price”(Jensen 879; vol. 122.3). This study showed how technology can stabilize a market, create new jobs and not displace people. This is one of the reasons why shutting down technology will often not help people and make people, as well as innovation, stagnate. I believe A.I. is similar in many aspects to this because it would allow us to shift our focus onto other things while the machines make themselves better. This would make our industries more efficient and through that, we could generate income to help people at the bottom and bring them up to everyone else, giving the world more brains to solve problems and pushing society ahead while making people happy and fulfilled at the same time. To conclude the advancement of technology while scary and for some could push all of us foreword while lifting people up.
Approach analysis
Proposing legislation around income by creating a UBI for all people in America. This would take the pressure off people and allow them to apply for the job they want and not the one they have to have.
- Some limitations of this approach are you don’t control how fast the process goes and don’t know how long it will take also UBI is a divisive issue that many people don’t like due to how it would allow people to survive without having a job more easily.
- Ways I can apply this to my own proposal by basing it around UBI giving the proposal greater reach and hopefully support. This would also make the proposal affect more issues and solving multiple things at once like homelessness, extreme poverty, and give people an economic safety net.
Solution proposal
My proposal is that we should reduce military spending and eliminate welfare programs to create a UBI, this would allow people to reevaluate their options and search for a new job. This could make the welfare process better and more streamlined. The audience of this proposal would be for politicians and voters so that they could help pass a bill with UBI on it. The entire us population would be impacted by this proposal but the people that would be impacted the most would be those in low skilled or repetitive jobs because this would give them some breathing room if they feel that their job was in danger. The way a UBI works is that it gives enough money to cover the basic or essentials a person would need like food, water, and shelter.
Reflection
This issue has been something I’ve been interested in ever since I first heard about it. My proposal aligns with my intrest in that my senior project will most likely be about engineering or possibly A.I.. During this project, I learned how to better manage my time to get research done and completing other assignments at the same time. The most interesting part of the project for me was when we had individual research time where I learned more about the consequences and unexpected benefits of automation. A way I could have improved my project would have been if I went to the library and did some research and got more sources for my research.