No matter how much we discuss the ethics or philosophy of Artificial Intelligence, this future is an inevitability: AI research will not cease, and machines will eventually be smarter than us. All we can do at this point is look ahead.
I foresee a future featuring extreme class divisions, in which the rich are flamboyant and spend-easy. The work they pay for would seem silly to us, but they are actually stimulating the economy. In a world where machines can perform all meaningful work, we must find new avenues of “work”.
Take the example of a rich woman with no worries or responsibilities, who possesses the resources to pay out another’s livelihood. This woman has her nails, hair, and makeup done (by a machine) every morning, because this obviously makes her more productive while doing nothing afterwards. That is the extent of the excitement in her day. Since she gets bored just sitting around looking attractive all day, she would like someone to talk to, and uses her unlimited credit to pay for this service.
In theory, this woman is paying for a servant. The servant can also help the woman get ready in the morning, and talk with her during the day. This is an interesting arrangement, because the woman is, in fact, paying primarily for companionship. Yes, machines may be capable of human-like interaction, but there is a lesser appeal of associating only with machines.
In a future world in which machines surpass us in all levels, there is only one thing humans can succeed in: being human.
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