Western thinkers believe that globalization will bring equality and freedom to humanity. This, they say, is its main goal. But in fact, the situation is exactly the opposite.
Futurologists predict that in the future society will split into castes. And it won't end well.
Robots are coming
The man himself does not know who he is, but he feels their needs. Food, power, sex are the main engines of civilization. In order to meet these needs, if you think about it, a person goes to work and gets paid. Now everything is moving towards the fact that in the next 20 years, most people will lose their jobs, and with it many will lose their life incentives.
Leave millions of ordinary people without work can machine intelligence.
This is evidenced by Yuval Noi Harari, a historian from Israel, the author of the world's bestsellers "Sapiens: a brief history of mankind" and "Homo Deus: a brief history of tomorrow." Harari reminds readers that people have always been unequal. Private property has increased this inequality. But then the state began to take care of "ordinary people". However, for selfish reasons: the rulers were the army needs healthy soldiers, and industrial economies — massive labour and employment. Therefore, States have invested in their health, education and social support systems.
But now it is the post-industrial era. In the arms of all armies appeared robots and drones, which are controlled by small groups of professional military, and factory conveyors work smart machines. The question is: what should the authorities and the powers that be do with the masses from now on?
Who needs you?
"Throughout history, the understanding of work has changed many times," says Yuval Noi Harari. — For quite a long period, people did not work at all, they survived, that is the idea: I get up and go to work at 8.00, where I am until 17.00, is a modern concept. Anxiety over job loss is also a relatively new phenomenon. During the industrial revolutions of the last centuries, people constantly felt fear that the machines will take over, and he will become unnecessary. I think it might be true this time."
Uselessness is what millions of people will have to face. And this is worse than the exploitation of one person by another, Harari said.
The massive loss of jobs will lead to the formation of a useless class in society by the middle of the century. It's already been called that. It will include not only the unemployed, but also all those who, in principle, will not be able to get an affordable job.
"In the twenty-first century inequality reaches historic high," writes the historian. Inequality is not only social, but also biological.
"Refresh my brain!»
Biology is undergoing a revolutionary change. In neuroscience invest a lot of money. There are gurus of biohacking — methods of improving the capabilities of the human body and mind.
Bioengineers are now able to grow new organs and rejuvenate the old, to intervene in the organism at the genetic level, etc. There are also more radical approaches, in fact, they suggest the merging of man and computer. In the circulatory system can be run nanorobots, so they can clean the vessels and deliver where necessary drugs, and at the same time destroy tumors and viruses. In the US, a chip is created that, when implanted in the brain, sends signals from one healthy cell to another, bypassing the damaged areas. There is a brain implant that sends nerve impulses to a personal computer, and that, in turn, gives commands to all sorts of electronic devices in the house.
In other words, advanced scientific technologies enhance our physical and mental abilities, and will soon be able to eliminate aging and even death.
What do you need to enter the lucky ones? The answer is obvious: money, and considerable. That is, a small group, the world elite, will be able to "pump" the body and brain, and the masses of ordinary people will be deprived of it. "As a result, humanity will split into biological castes — superhuman and useless class — predicts Harari. - By 2100, the rich can really become more talented and smarter than the poor. As soon as there is this gap, nothing will change. This will be the greatest revolution in the history of not just humanity, but all life on Earth. If this issue is not regulated, a tiny group of people will have access to technology and will determine the future of life on Earth."
Harari's trying to comfort us. Perhaps, he suggests, some countries where humanistic ideals are rooted will continue to support the masses. For example, will pay each representative of the useless class so — called unconditional basic income (POD) - a certain amount of money that will make ends meet. There are other ideas. According to the Israeli historian, many people in the future will prefer to live in virtual reality. For example, play computer games. The same opinion, incidentally, adheres to and bill gates.
If you look at some statistics, these predictions do not look fantastic. According to American economists, the amount of free time for low-skilled workers over the past 15 years has increased by 4 hours per week and 3 hours of these four they spend on video games.
Yuval Noi Harari believes that by 2050 people will explore new game scenarios and spend all their free time in virtual universes. It is possible that a video game player will become an official profession. Another popular specialty will be the designer of virtual worlds.
One way or another, the two castes of people — the elite and the useless class — will have to somehow coexist on the same planet. And there is a suspicion that the neighborhood of the usual Homo sapiens with "pumped" cyborg nothing good for the first of them will not end.