What would the world of artificial general intelligence (AGI) look like? Many predict that AGI could cause an economic collapse if it arrives. Although job loss and displacement began with automation and AI, many experts and economists believe that AGI will exacerbate this phenomenon and lead to economic collapse through mass unemployment. The question is how to prepare for such an eventuality or what measures you can take now to lessen the shock. Some are thinking about creating new jobs, others about switching to skilled trades.
The AI race is becoming more intense every day and every player wants to be the first to reach the Holy Grail: AGI. But while some people work with enthusiasm and hustle to achieve their ultimate goal, in other people AGI inspires fear and skepticism. According to the latter, AGI would be harmful to humanity and even pose an existential threat due to a series of unforeseen changes that could result from it. In fact, the economic consequences of AGI arise from its fundamentally new properties compared to the human brains that currently run the world (the economy).
As these “digital brains” become smart enough to perform a wide range of economic functions, they are likely to bring about radical change and create great wealth, but also displace people from more and more types of jobs. In this regard, Bill Gates believes that this is an inevitable process that will make people more efficient and allow them to have more free time. But what will they do with this free time? What will be the new professions of people whose jobs have been taken away by AI? According to some experts, there will be a decline in their purchasing power.
In the community, some are alarmed and predict a dystopian future for the global economy, while others have a more moderate opinion on the issue. One critic who fears possible economic collapse from AGI says: If AGI emerges, it is very likely that there will be economic collapse and mass unemployment. If not, that’s okay, otherwise it’s better to prepare for it. Given this possibility, I’m thinking about buying a house, starting a garden and keeping a few chickens. That seems like a good start to me. Others also suggest focusing on the work of the mind, crafts, etc.
In her opinion, people should first turn to jobs that require much more human skills to be protected from a possible shock. Soft skills are essential for every employee in the workplace. These include teamwork, attention to detail, critical and creative thinking, effective communication and interpersonal skills, to name a few. These soft skills are in demand across all industries. According to this criticism, AI would not be able to copy these skills and therefore not replace these jobs.
Non-technical skills are alien to AI. She cannot develop these skills. Developing these skills requires a high level of logical thinking and emotional intelligence, says one reviewer. Others say you should start by purchasing stocks in companies developing AI, as well as a range of assets that can help you through a financial crisis or economic collapse. You need to buy assets that will make you money. Buy as many as possible. “Don’t sell it, no matter what the stock market does,” advises one internet user.
We live in a capitalist world. It is managed for the benefit of the capitalists. If you don’t have capital, you’re screwed. AI, much less AGI, will do you no favors. Learn skills that AGI cannot replicate without automation and offer new types of services. If you are unable to do this, all you have to do is accumulate wealth. For example, invest in real estate, people will always need housing. Catering is also possible. I think robots have no chance of succeeding in fast food restaurants, and AGI won’t make it any better, notes one critic.
Last August, Gary Gensler, head of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), said that an AI-driven financial crisis in the next decade was “almost inevitable” if left unaddressed. This technology, which is evolving very quickly, will not be further regulated. It’s honestly a difficult challenge. This is a difficult financial stability problem to solve because most of our regulations apply to individual institutions, individual banks, individual money market funds and individual brokers. “It’s just the nature of what we do,” he said.
Another has a comment: If you have the means, buy stocks in tech companies. Personally, I bought a house and chickens last year. My mortgage represents half of my income and if I lost my job I would be repossessed within a month. I don’t even have enough equity to sell. So try it at your own risk. There is always social assistance. However, there are no guarantees. Will it continue to be possible to meet the needs of the population? Should AGI cause an economic collapse in the future, the real problem that needs to be overcome is money in circulation.
Other Internet users are even more skeptical about the future: They are thinking about how to survive the economic difficulties that AGI could cause, but the bosses are thinking about how to get rid of you. The question is not whether I should own a house and a farm, but how to survive a global genocide. Regardless, it is already too late for most of us. Other critics, however, take a more measured approach to the issue, and some even consider it unlikely that AGI will cause an economic collapse if introduced. In her opinion, the AGI could solve the current difficulties.
If the AGI actually keeps its promises, an economic collapse should be avoided. But if that happens, an economic collapse would have to be short-lived until society can be restructured. The AGI should figure out how to do it. The danger would be to achieve an AGI that is efficient enough to cause mass unemployment, but not intelligent or humane enough to win society’s support for reforming our political system. In that case, we would be on our own to deal with the chaos we created. Humanity could be facing unprecedented crises, one critic notes.
In both cases, my strategy is to live a healthy life and try to appreciate the world as it is today. If the economy collapses and the healthcare system deteriorates, I don’t want to be in the position of having to see a doctor or deal with a medical issue. Otherwise there isn’t much to do. You could become a “preventer” and devote all your time and resources to preparing for the end of the world, but that’s not a fun way to spend your life, and it’s certainly not good for your mental health. You might as well do your best and enjoy life. You only have one.
We can also read: Several scenarios are possible, most of which should not worry you, because either there is enough abundance that basic needs are very accessible, otherwise we are all dead for reasons beyond our control. So it’s about mitigating the interim periods when the world is adapting and AI is slow to deliver improvements to basic needs. Or, more likely, if some people’s lust for power limits the use of the beneficial aspects of AI while jobs continue to disappear left and right.
Among the more moderate comments, we see that most agree that not much can be done. In their opinion, humanity will cope with this in due time. They believe that new opportunities would open up for humanity even if AGI caused the collapse of the current system. Buying a house, planting a garden, and owning a few chickens is good advice regardless of the AI. I don’t think an economic collapse is inevitable. Technological advances and automation have historically led to an increase in the number of jobs, not a decrease, one critic wrote.
He added: There will be far-reaching changes, but other sectors will also develop (e.g. AI design and implementation). People will always be able to do something that benefits others. Economies may become more localized, but they will remain stronger overall.
And you ?
What is your opinion on this topic?
Do you think the industry will ever reach AGI?
What impact could AGI have on the global economy?
Is AGI Capable of Inducing Economic Collapse? For what ?
How do you prepare for such an eventuality? What do you think of the reviews above?
Why do you think people have a deep fear of AI? Is this feeling justified?
See also
Bill Gates thinks it’s a good thing that AI is taking everyone’s jobs away. It is an inevitable process that makes people more efficient and gives them more free time
How do we know we have achieved a form of artificial general intelligence? For some AI experts, this is when the machine has human-level cognition
Artificial general intelligence (AGI) that surpasses human intelligence in almost all areas will emerge within 10 years, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son said