Is it possible that, in the not too distant future, man will not have to earn his bread by the sweat of his brow? More than a hundred years ago, Oscar Wilde envisioned a day when, "just as the trees grow while the owner of the country house sleeps, humanity will be having fun, or will be cultivating hobbies - which are the aim of the world." man, not work – or creating beautiful things, or reading beautiful pages, or simply looking at the world with admiration and pleasure, and meanwhile the machines will do all the necessary and unpleasant work.
Is that day coming? Artificial intelligence (AI) enthusiasts say yes, robots will soon be able to replace us in many jobs and we will have all the time in the world to do what we want. There are those who contribute small personal experiences in defense of this thesis, such as the good friend who recently left work late at night and remembered that it was his wedding anniversary.
He was driving and it wasn't far from home. He needed a gift for his wife. It occurred to him to ask the phone's virtual assistant, Siri, what he could do. “A kilometer from here, on the right hand side, there is a jewelry store that is still open,” Siri answered helpfully. "Do you want me to let them know you're going?" “Jewelry is expensive, Siri,” he said. And if she brought him some flowers? “Love is expensive,” Siri replied.
Anyone who uses today's technological tools –and who doesn't, to a greater or lesser extent?– can tell similar anecdotes. Virtual assistants, robots and computer programs are doing more things every day that previously required human labor. You don't have to be a travel agent or record store owner to see the danger. Many people will be out of work. Obsolete occupations will not stop growing.
However, with AI, productivity will increase, so we can expect that, as a whole, the effects on the economy will be positive. If the gains are well distributed and steps are taken to ensure that no one is left behind, the effect may end up being what Wilde predicted: the robots will do the work and we will have more free time to cultivate and have fun. Isn't there more and more talk about the four-day week?
The question is whether we are prepared to accept it, whether we will know how to adapt. What will people do the day they don't have to work? Let's see if, when the biblical curse finally ceases to be the law and people have more free time, they will not know what to do with it.
It seems like a trivial concern – especially during the month of August – but in order to entertain yourself in an active way, let alone creatively, you not only have to be willing, but you also need qualities that today, accustomed as we are all to soup stupid of the screens, they abound every day less.
Progress always takes from us with one hand what it gives us with the other. Browsing a little here and there on the net, letting ourselves be carried away by the tastes and inclinations of each one, is enjoyable. Television is more passive, but it is also distracting. But screens distract us in a very primary way. We jump from one subject to another responding to clickbaits and immediate stimuli and our ability to concentrate weakens.
Distracting yourself in front of a television or browsing your computer or mobile phone, compared to distracting yourself with an activity that requires a little effort and preparation on our part, is like eating junk food compared to eating well-cooked fresh food. And we already know what happens when we only eat junk food, right?
Not everyone knows how to be distracted with intelligence. Lack of preparation, knowledge, and ability to concentrate can be a very pronounced handicap when it comes to filling free time. Doing it passively, without testing yourself, without surpassing yourself, produces limited satisfaction. In the field of entertainment, as in so many others, nothing really worthwhile is obtained without a little effort. No pain, no gain.
Breathing is not living. Vegetating from time to time can be healthy, but as a main activity it is typical of vegetables. Perhaps the usual will happen and some will be more and better distracted than others. Or rather: some will be distracted and others will have to be distracted.
