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Timbershoe t1_jdqem72 wrote

Reply to comment by Whole-Impression-709 in Taxes in A.I dominated labour market by Newhereeeeee

History is circular.

This has all happened before, and will happen again.

The Industrial Revolution wasn’t a political revolution, however it lead to better working conditions (weekends off, paid holidays, sick leave).

The AI revolution will just change the job market slightly. Perhaps allow for more flexible working, but those holding out for some political revolution are going to be slightly disappointed. There will still be jobs. There will still be workers.

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whyzantium t1_jdqfg96 wrote

Weekends off etc were a reaction to the industrial revolution which mandated rigid work schedules, and only made possible through trade unions. Such things wouldn't make sense before the industrial revolution.

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Timbershoe t1_jdqfwa6 wrote

That is literally what I said. The Industrial Revolution lead to better working conditions (weekends off, paid holidays, sick leave).

It was not a political revolution.

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Alpha3031 t1_jdqiizn wrote

I believe what /u/whyzantium is saying is that preindustrial working patterns are sufficiently different to be incomparable (or at least difficult to compare) but arguably less onerous*, and the change you point to has a starting point that was post–industrial revolution, circa 19th century, and took a century of activism after that to achieve.

* See for example excerpt from Schor (1993).

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whyzantium t1_jdqucwx wrote

You're missing out the fact that society wasn't organised around things that made your list of remedies necessary. Peasants worked less hours before the early modern period and didn't need any of that stuff. It's like saying the COVID outbreak was good because it lead to COVID vaccines.

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Timbershoe t1_jdr1ryj wrote

Yes. Because my point wasn’t about the value of changes to working conditions, it was that working conditions changed as a result of automation.

There was no political upheaval. Systems of government didn’t change.

The OP was saying that AI would lead to a change politics. I’m sceptical it’ll even register.

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