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jrowentoday at 4:26 AM3 repliesview on HN

This. Before we worry about how much work there is left, we have to define what work is "to be done." We're already at a point where an incredible amount of work done isn't strictly "necessary." It's not growing food, it's not making clothing, it's not building houses, or providing other basic needs and comforts...

How many man-hours go into various parts of the advertising distribution chain? Though a certain fraction of that energy goes to connecting people with goods and services they might find valuable, most of it goes into shifting numbers around for people that already don't personally have to worry about money.

We don't need to find endless ways for people to spin wheels, but as long as we're worried about "jobs," we will. We just need to find the social structures to provide people with basic needs and reserve "work" for things that are vital to society or truly inspired.


Replies

mike_hearntoday at 12:03 PM

> How many man-hours go into various parts of the advertising distribution chain?

Not that much. AI is already heavily automating advertising and has been for a long time. And a lot of activity that was previously exposed to untargeted passive advertising - like TV - has shifted to mediums that don't have any, like Netflix (for most subscribers).

And as you note, advertising isn't useless. It's how people find out about things they didn't know they wanted.

sharikoustoday at 9:06 AM

> We just need to find the social structures to provide people with basic needs and reserve "work" for things that are vital to society or truly inspired.

just?

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ygtttoday at 10:45 AM

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