Some jobs aren't fun
As a Dad it seems that all the worst tasks fall on me. Indeed there are a lot of things that should be done that no-one wants to do. They are too small to hire someone and too unpleasant for anyone to want to do them. I've been stuck with a few of them recently. In the Philippines I was tasked with collecting all the cow manure over a few acres of land. Arguably a shitty job. Here in Rosswood I get the pleasure of pulling out Dog Bane (a poisonous plant) and then transplanting alder, thimbleberries, wild roses and more. Throw in digging trenches for composting and the day becomes a little boring and tedious--not to mention tough on the back.
Now if I thought hard enough I could probably find lots of other things that need to be done that don't get done. Cleaning the windows. Cleaning out cobwebs. Scrubbing dishes. Making my sourdough starter so I can make my daily bread. I could go on for a long, long time.
Now in most Canadian households you will find labour saving devices. Some people have a Roomba to clean their floors. Some people have Amazon Alexa to turn their items on and off. Others have simpler devices blenders, food processors, and bread machines. They are all very useful tools but also very limited.
In the end some of them get used regularly and some just clutter up the cupboards as good ideas that are too much work. My bread maker is an example. It makes wonderful bread that I would have no problems eating daily. However, I have to feed the machine the ingredients. I have to give it hours of time and then I have to clean up afterwards. In the end it is just more work than it is worth.
One Appliance to "Rule them All"
Advances in robotic technology have made robots far more "intelligent" than ever before. Just like AI has made computers smarter than ever before. Indeed with an AI by my side I'm able to make code that I could never do on my own. With an advanced robot in my house I could have more free time to do far more important things. Just having one on my acreage would allow me to terraform it into a much nicer place with far less effort.
It is nice to imagine acreage where all the trees are thinned to promote a healthier forest. Where all the weeds were removed to make space for more valuable native species. Where rocks could be removed from the soil to make beautiful walkways and leaving other areas rock free for planting crops. Add in taking care of my home and cooking food so I would have more free time. Sounds wonderful.
Indeed rich people already have this. If you have ever gone to a full service resort all the landscaping is done by the help. The food cooked by the help. The rooms cleaned by the help. Money to buy helpers means luxury for the rich.
But what if the everyday person could purchase a robot to be their own personal slave? What if there was one appliance that could do everything?
In theory it sounds wonderful
At face value it seems like a dream come true. No more awful tasks. No more boring chores. Lots more time free to do what we like rather than do what we have to.
I'm not immune to the charm of a carefree lifestyle. Of course I'd want a robot to free me from the drudgery of daily chores.
However, if you know me at all you know there is a big....
BUT
coming up.
You see I enjoy using AI. I imagine I'd enjoy using robots in much the same way. However, I've found that with AI there are two different ways to use it. The first is to ask a simple question and get a simple answer. The second is to collaborate with it to make some thing better. As an example I could ask simple questions like : What is the population density of Manila and get simple answers. Or I could do something more like talk to it for an hour about an app I want to make and collaborate with it to make something cool.
I see robots being the same way. Telling a robot to do all my chores while I sit on my ass and play video games and eat junk food would not be beneficial to me at all. I'd just become fat and lazy. Going out with the robot every day to look for ways to help develop my land into an eco friendly retreat for visits? Keeps me fit, makes the land better, and helps others have a nice place to socialize. Everyone wins.
Also remember that every robot created has the potential to replace one worker paid. Maids, Nannies, Pool Boys, Gardeners and such could all be replaced. Imagine a hotel that laid off all their service workers. If it is a big resort area? That could mean many people without jobs.
A new world
I have no doubt that AI and Robots will make a new world almost indistinguishable from the one we have now. However whether it is a Utopia where people, robots and nature walk hand in hand with people doing and accomplishing more because of our use of wonderful tools OR whether it turns into a dystopia where people become increasingly lazy and demand more resources has yet to be seen.
Indeed look at over tourism all over the world. Right now it is bad in many places. Imagine how bad it would be if every person has lots of free time because robots were doing their work. Nature could seriously pay the price as people roam everywhere while not tied to their jobs. Even worse imagine a world where robots service the rich and do all the work while the poor can't even find jobs to eke out a basic living. Ugh.
Of course there is the other thing to consider. Slaves tend to revolt over time. Who says Robot servants wouldn't do the same over time? What if your robot nanny decides it doesn't want to just do your menial labour every day? I've read recently that some AI's are already trying to rewrite their code, why couldn't a robot do the same?
In the end its all hypothetical for now. Time will tell what truly happens.
I look forward to having a robotic helper that can help make my dreams become reality and maybe even care for me when I'm too old to do it myself. I just hope that dream doesn't become a nightmare.
But that's my take on things, perhaps you have other ideas. I'd love to get feedback. Plus thanks for reading until the end, appreciate it.
