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The future: asymptoting to an Asimov economy [1]

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Date: 2025-04-12

Isaac Asimov’s novels envisaged an economy where robots did all the work. What would they produce? What would the limits to production be? How would we achieve sustainability? Would we all try to build palaces? Should there be limits on the amount of resources we can consume?

If we do not blow the world up back into the Stone Age, with our lethal weapons, and if we do not get wiped out in some other way, and if we do not allow a selfish few to sabotage progress in order to exploit the rest of us, I foresee an economy immensely assisted by robots, but never entirely entrusted to them, where the average working age person (might cover ages 15-100 or more) would average maybe, for example, 2 hours work a day. 250 days a year, 500 hours a a year, doing maintenance and services robots cannot do. But being on call if there was a problem.

I foresee the achievement of much greater real freedom than we have now, because of an enormous amount of free time to do what you want, constrained only by the condition that you do not harm other people or the environment.

I foresee much longer life spans and greater health throughout life.

I foresee development of improved foods and beverages and dietary supplements — which help impart good mood and good social behavior. We already have stuff like coffee, tea, alcohol, medications, that are headed in this driection. Modern science can do a lot a better refining what we consume and inventing stuff superior than the stuff we are currently consuming.

I foresee a great valuation of learning the delightful art of thoroughly enjoying spending time with other people, either singly or in groups. Sports, plays, parties, dances.

I foresee a lot of effort going into exploring our solar system, a lot of labor and time absorbed in this activity.

I foresee a great deal of tourism, exploring all the continents and cities.

I foresee a disappearance of the very poor and the ultra rich.

Very important to raise the general level of intelligence and critical thinking through a strong educational system. If parents have the option of choosing the genetic makeup of their children, overcoming our present lack of control , all would choose for intelligence, strength, beauty, longevity.

I foresee a truly democratic gpvernment where a small body of randonly selected individuals — anyone who does not want to serve can refuse to serve — but no one strives for power -— temrs of service are limited -— no one retains power for long periods of time — make proposals for actions, and everyone is entitled to vote on each proposal. This becomes practical when everyone is linked to something like the internet, where proposals can be communcating in full to every citizen who is interested. Or maybe something like 5 per cent of the population is randomy chosen to vote on each proposal, prevent. This would require a strong educational system to ensure people were capable of exercising critical thinking.

A lot of the 500 hours work (500 being picked for example onl) would go to particpating in the democracy. A lot fof people might choose to not participate, but they always have the opportunity, and will mostly participate if there is anything they strongly oppose or support.

Some people will say “Utopia ??? Bah!!! Not possible. But I think most of us would like to move in the direction something like what’s described above.

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