IS ‘ANTI-HUMANOID ROBOT’ EQUAL TO ‘PRO-WORK?

(The following was written without ChatGPT, etc.)

In a seminar this past week with Jensen Huang and Mohammed bin Salman, Elon Musk envisioned a world in which humanoid robot labor would make human work ‘optional.’ (link to seminar here) His line of reasoning was something akin to, “humanoid robots can do all vital work - therefore any human working in such a world will be deliberately choosing to do so.” 

However, it must be said - it is not necessary to create humanoid robots in order to have a ‘post-work’ society. Automated machines do not need to look like humans - nor have our every capability and then some - in order to raise crops, clean water, build houses, and distribute these necessities throughout the world.

It must also be said that a machine that is specifically created to raise crops… can’t particularly do anything else. Neither can a machine that cleans water, or build houses do much other than those things. But a humanoid robot, much like a human, can do other things beyond providing for our basic necessities. From a purely technical vantage point, these tools can patrol our streets; augment / replace our military; wield weapons; be weapons; enforce or take away our property rights; and - crucially - eliminate any and all reasons why the upper classes must negotiate with the lower classes. 

Indeed, so horrible are the destructive potential of these tools that one feels a little shy in making all out accusations to their makers of this or that. In reality, they may be doing little more than painting themselves into a bit of a corner - with the slow realization that there is an ugly end to all of this... and one they refuse to be on. 

We, the general populace, are likely then on the ugly end. If it’s so that we can agree that a ‘post work’ society is desirable - then let’s build such a society directly and not expect for it to organically emerge in the aftermath of some other, profoundly complex achievement.

Thank you for taking a moment to sign and share this petition.

Sincerely,

Michael Christensen-