General Discussion

First, the AI we see now remains far from AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) but it's on the development track. And that progress is encouraged and accelerated by the oligarchs who now dominate society. We don't publicly see the real AI at work yet, but it's getting to the point where it can build, train, refine, and improve itself. As this process continues, we move closer and closer to an event horizon where the AI improves itself at speeds beyond human researchers' ability to comprehend, let alone regulate, it at all. Already the systems are becoming opaque to us, as these software entities increasingly operate well beyond our analytic capabilities, our relationships with these technologies become more personal and less operational, as developers behave increasingly like tutors and nannies. But this is still years away from the real AGI stuff; how many years? Who knows, but a decade seems like a safe upper bound.

When I was in college and trade school in the early 2000s, we were already at the point where the tech one used when starting trade school and college often became obsolete before graduation. That pace has not slowed.

Those who advocate for vocational training with technology to substitute robust college educations which teach underlying principles, as some kind of ultimate response to AI replacement are dispensing dangerous advice. Humanoid robotics are also advancing rapidly, and many of these robots can be operated semi-autonomously by AI. Not that AI needs such bodies to interact and compete when 3D printers and CNC tables are possibilities. Beyond that, rudimentary autonomous self-operating vehicles exist already, are in a continuous process of refinement, and will likely be commonplace within 20 years.

When the humanoid robot who vacuums your floors, cooks your food, does your laundry, and chauffeurs your family around can also play chess at a grandmaster level, paint like Van Gogh, speak all human languages fluently, handle plumbing and electrical wiring jobs around your house, and tutor your kids in calculus, the role of humanity will change of necessity. One way or another, humans and our societies must change to adapt to this new pressure. Simplistic shit like "get a Real Job" just won't cut it. Not anymore.