Utopian future of robotics, automation and artificial intelligence.
http://marshallbrain.com/manna1.htm
http://marshallbrain.com/second-intelligent-species.htm
http://files.abovetopsecret.com/files/aad67f70b7b43ddc.pdf
http://jonathanmehtala.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/capitalism-automation-and-role-of-state.html
http://jonathanmehtala.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/the-end-game-of-capitalism-transition.html
http://jonathanmehtala.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/capitalism-in-world-of-automation-and.html
http://waitbutwhy.com/2015/01/artificial-intelligence-revolution-1.html
http://waitbutwhy.com/2015/01/artificial-intelligence-revolution-2.html
Suppose a thousand people got shipwrecked in a desert island in the near future after an apocalypse which destroys the rest of the civilised world. The only possessions they had were, apart from the clothes on their backs, were a thousand multipurpose, general super intelligent robots which had access to the combined knowledge of the civilisation of the time.
How do you think they would cope, survive and possibly prosper?
For a start, the people would get organised and get the robots to scour the island and discover and record all the natural resources on the island. Of course the food resources would be given top priority and the robots would harvest them on a self sustainable basis first. Secondly, resources that were needed for immediate and temporary, albeit rudimentary shelter would be utilised.
The above should not take more than a week assuming the robots were working day and night. The next priority for the robots will be to utilise an energy source which is both renewable and sufficient to power the future requirements of both the robotic workforce as well as the emerging civilization on the island. Only two immediate energy sources come to mind. The first is wind power and the second is geothermal energy. Solar power could be ruled out because of the relatively small size of the island. Suppose the robots divided themselves into four groups of 250 each tasked with the following work loads: The first group carries out the mining, smelting and manufacturing, through automation, of the parts required for the wind power stations and the geothermal plants. The second group assembles the parts for the third and fourth groups which actually build the power plants. Remember, these robots are super efficient and super smart and thus be able to accomplish the task of attaining self sufficiency and sustainability in energy production for the island within, say a week or two at the most.
Once the energy requirements of the island have been met, then the robots would turn their attention to raising the quality of life for the island inhabitants by designing and constructing the most efficient, durable and luxurious residences for them together with self maintaining gardens and orchards. The inhabitants would lead a leisured existence of acquiring knowledge, pursuing arts and hobbies such as crafts, fishing, surfing and sailing. This could conceivably be achieved in about three to six months.
The next challenge for the nascent island civilisation would be to have a surplus of energy so that the robot population can be doubled and quadrupled by automation production lines so as to cater to the growing needs of the naturally expanding human population. Initially the islands wind generating capacity would be fully utilised and the geothermal energy would be greatly increased by the robots reaching ever greater depths in the earth's mantle as well as towards the hotter magma, but the limits would be soon reached as far as efficiency is concerned. Simultaneously some of the ever increasing numbers of robots produced would be working on cold fusion and other esoteric energy sources and thus the island would soon have a virtually unlimited energy source.
Soon the islanders, together with their robotic workforce, would be building ships and planes to explore and colonise the rest of the planet in order to cope with the growing population. Thus within a generation, the islanders would have brought an advanced civilisation to a decimated planet thanks to robotics, automation and artificial intelligence.
The above is a thought experiment.
If the above envisioned Utopian future can be realised with just a thousand humans with a thousand general purpose artificial intelligent robots, can you imagine what can be accomplished with ten billion humans of the Earth with an equivalent workforce of an initial ten billion of the same robots!! At the least the solar system will be colonised and Mankind will be a star faring civilisation in a generation or two!!
So what is holding back humanity from this future Utopia?
Only two things really. The first is a morbid fear of automation and robotics by the general public which fears massive unemployment and thus destitution. The second is the market mechanism which will never tolerate an ever escalating energy surplus which will naturally result in eventually free energy for both the robotic workforce as well as the free human beings who will enjoy the benefits.
What is the possible solution to the above impediments?
As far as unemployment is concerned, the only solution is a Guaranteed Basic Income for everybody in order to cope with meeting the supply from the ever escalating production capacity of robotics and automation. As the production capacity increases, so does the Guaranteed Basic Income until everybody lives the life of leisured billionaires.
As far as the market mechanism on energy is concerned, it should be universally understood that energy is not just a resource but the very basis of life and its evolutionary progress of humanity. Thus it should be treated as the Open Source movement treats software and should be freely available universally.
Once these two criteria are met, the above mentioned Utopian scenario is guaranteed for humanity.