Will we have more leisure time? That is predicated on the idea of a social fund created by society to pay for education, health, transport etc. But where will that money come from? The beneficiaries of robot production (which will no doubt be private) will be the owners and shareholders of robot producing companies and factories supplying robots to universities, hospitals, libraries etc. not society as a whole.Oh, I'm sure we will have much more leisure time. We are already experiencing much more leisure time while being jobless, although I don't think we can enjoy it much while being forced out of our homes and into lines at a local food bank.
This may seem fantastical now during this transition phase of development but already relatively undeveloped robots are being used as tour guides and remote doctors. As more privatisation puts more people at the mercy of the profit motive, exposure to replacement by robot is only limited by the current capabilities of contemporary science.
The marvelous development of technology, which is a legacy of so many generations of humanity and a product of human ingenuity, has under capitalism been secured by a few for their benefit. Under their system of capitalism, they own this technology and the sophisticated tools it has produced; and they have been, and will continue, to use it against us.
The author does us a great service in pointing out the contradictions that many millions across the globe are increasing being confronted with, however his conclusion seems rather lame to me.
Only stronger ties building on the common interest between the unemployed and employed can possibly resist this coming workplace crisis.
