Stephen Hawking Says We Should Be Afraid Of Capitalism, Not Robots

[LongTomH]

Stephen Hawking responded to inquiries about technological unemployment with digs at the capitalist system:

On Reddit, Hawkings said that the economic gap between the rich and the poor will continue to grow as more jobs are automated by machines, and the owners of said machines hoard them to create more wealth for themselves.

Professor Hawking was asked:

"In particular, do you foresee a world where people work less because so much work is automated? Do you think people will always either find work or manufacture more work to be done?"

His reply:

If machines produce everything we need, the outcome will depend on how things are distributed. Everyone can enjoy a life of luxurious leisure if the machine-produced wealth is shared, or most people can end up miserably poor if the machine-owners successfully lobby against wealth redistribution. So far, the trend seems to be toward the second option, with technology driving ever-increasing inequality.

More here: http://churchandstate.org.uk/2015/10/stephen-hawking-says-we-should-really-be-scared-of-capitalism-not-robots/

[Human101948]

1. What does he think he is? Some kind of genius?

Seriously though, I think he is a very smart genius.

[LiberalArkie]

2. Absolutely correct, of course it has to be correct coming from this man.

[randys1]

3. Gee, nice to know my theory is shared by someone like him

[rhett o rick]

4. Maybe it's time for a little Democratic Socialism. We need a change from the status quo that

has brought us to where we are with 16,000,000 children living in poverty.

[Rex]

5. Under the bus he goes! Can't have that kind of talk now!

[Skittles]

6. after all these decades living with that terrible disease

Hawking has still got it

[NobodyHere]

7. What about a Robot Monster?