Most of us do useful things. Most of us do it because we need to, to earn a living. Other people give us money because they trade with us so we’ll do things that are useful to them (like providing goods or services or helping others to do so).
I think it’s a profound mistake to think that earning money (honestly) doesn’t do anything useful. On the contrary, it’s what makes the world go.
Sure, but I wasn’t saying what we do is pointless—just that there are other routes to meaning that aren’t really more difficult. And that what most of the world does now is back breaking and soul crushing labor, not the fun intellectual labor the LW community often is privileged to do.
Fair point. From the perspective of one who sees significant value in earning a living and providing goods and services, how are you feeling about the prospects of many marketable skills being mastered by AI? Do we need to reevaluate the value of jobs?
By pointing to a situation where people already don’t feel they are contributing much, it seems like Seth is saying that we’re not losing much through this rise of AI. But your objection suggests to me you might think that we are losing something significant?
Most of us do useful things. Most of us do it because we need to, to earn a living. Other people give us money because they trade with us so we’ll do things that are useful to them (like providing goods or services or helping others to do so).
I think it’s a profound mistake to think that earning money (honestly) doesn’t do anything useful. On the contrary, it’s what makes the world go.
Sure, but I wasn’t saying what we do is pointless—just that there are other routes to meaning that aren’t really more difficult. And that what most of the world does now is back breaking and soul crushing labor, not the fun intellectual labor the LW community often is privileged to do.
Fair point. From the perspective of one who sees significant value in earning a living and providing goods and services, how are you feeling about the prospects of many marketable skills being mastered by AI? Do we need to reevaluate the value of jobs?
By pointing to a situation where people already don’t feel they are contributing much, it seems like Seth is saying that we’re not losing much through this rise of AI. But your objection suggests to me you might think that we are losing something significant?