As the first country in the world, South Korea is apparently ready to introduce some kind of robot taxation.
The rate at which AI and automation are replacing human workers is ever increasing. Robots are cheaper and more productive than their human counterparts.
Replacing the human workforce with robots can be greatly beneficial for humanity as a whole if we can bring the costs of producing life necessities down.
The problem arises when the added wealth based on robot technology is channeled towards very few beneficiaries. Namely the owners of the robot workforce.
We are currently seeing an ever increasing gap between the very rich and the rest. AI and automation might, however, accelerate this trend.
Do you remember the movie Elysium from 2013? It features the contrast between a rich isolated society in the sky and the masses down on earth. That future is entirely possible.
With our current progress, this scenario is in my opinion what we are heading for.
The robots will force us to rethink the way we work and distribute wealth. And many have shared their ideas on how we can avoid the Elysium scenario. Universal Basic Income is one of them, but I do not believe it will be enough. UBI does not take into account that most wealth will flow towards those who control the robots. UBI will just keep us all alive until we reach the Elysium wealth gap when the elite will just stop caring about the mob anymore.
Taxing the robots was first proposed by Bill Gates who said we should tax the robots at a similar rate as human workers. That model was very controversial because it might slow down progress. Why should we rely on human workers when robots would be able to produce the goods faster, better and cheaper?
Taxing the robots is, however, a great way to channel some of the wealth generated by the robots back to "the mob" and might actually be the best strategy to combat a huge wealth gap.
South Korea is ready to introduce robot tax (a very mild version to begin with) and I find that to be a very bold and important move towards a fair distribution of wealth.
We all want to go to Elysium, right?
YOU have really great posts, and I hope you will post MUCH MORE OFTEN.
Cheers! JP
Thank you surfyogi! Your approval means a lot to me and YES I do plan on posting much more often!
Robots are constantly complaining about equal rights and benefits...it's about time they get taxed too!
Exactly ;)
Elysium is a fools paradise, a separation of the rich and poor on a mass scale. If they do begin using robot taxes it might help secure more jobs. There will be massive loss of employment after self driving and robotics in factories continue to take off. Great article ronni! Im now following you. :)
We are about to see a huge upheaval in the current workforce. We need to do something about it without slowing down progress too much.
I think tax doesn't distribute wealth good enough and often is burden but as you said automatisation will take over income for a lot of people. Something needs to be done and this will be great study case.
This would indeed be a great study case!
Am I the only one who is just amazed at how we've come so far, that this can become a discussion?
I am definitely amazed! So much is going on right now. I think this must be the most interesting and important time in human history. The train of the future is leaving the station for the last time - you better be on it!
A UBI is the most retarded socialist thing possible. It will render that amount of money as absolutely worthless do to inflation.
It is basically the same as giving the masses some money so the rich have something to take back. What would the rich sell if nobody had any money?
If robots paying taxes mean I get to pay less, I'm all for it!
You most likely will have no work related income at all some time in the future. In that case, you are fed with whatever surpluss the robots create.
Very interesting @ronni!
Never thought of the possibility to tax robots but I guess in the age to come that It. Might become necessary in some way. Time will tell!
We need to do something. Taxing the robots might be one of our better options.
sounds good news, upvoted and resteemed too.
Nice Post. Following you
@ronni great post , thank you for sharing