Humanity creates technology, and technology changes humanity. At some point, humanity chose a market-driven economy over a peaceful and calm life. There was nothing inherently wrong with that; humans were designed to survive. They had to survive the jungle, ferocious animals, changing nature, and their own emotions when someone precious to them died due to a lack of medicines. All these complications gave rise to agriculture, then the barter system, and eventually currency, leading humans to the world we see today—a world hardly liked by anyone.
This world is run by a handful of people, most of them rich and powerful businessmen. They have leaders in their pockets, and these leaders become Presidents of the United States or other significant political figures. These politicians send armies to capture new lands for the businessmen, and the poor soldiers follow orders, believing they are serving their country.
That's how the world runs. Everyone else is just an employee, earning a salary and shopping. They shop for many things, the most expensive being education and medicine. In the USA, doctors and scientists who try to develop cheaper medicines that could cure diseases like cancer are sidelined. The "Godfathers of Earth" hate them because curing a disease like cancer means people won't spend money on it again, resulting in a severe financial loss.
Technology, however, continues to drive itself and change how humanity thinks and functions. Today, it poses a serious threat to humanity. Technology has led to a disruption known as "Automation." This automation is so powerful that in India alone, it is estimated that 69% of people will lose their jobs. Automated machines are faster, cheaper, and more effective, making them preferable to human workers who demand high salaries and pose risks to the industry, especially those categorized as "hazardous."
Employers demand neat work and more output, but both cannot coexist if a human handles production. If a human works neatly, they take more time and precautions, producing less. If they produce more, they take fewer precautions, compromising their safety and increasing the chances of accidents. In case of an accident, the employer may face legal consequences. This is a big problem for employers, who want to mint money, increase output, and avoid jail. So, what do they do? They fire humans and employ 2-3 robots, automating their plants. One-time investment, and they are relaxed, paying EMIs instead of salaries.
Amidst all this, another creative disruption is going on, moving faster than we can estimate. Until now, we have been paying for the energy we need. What if this energy becomes free? Solar energy is now five times cheaper than other energy sources. In countries like Germany, people are about to get paid instead of being charged for using energy. Nobody is ready for that, but they will have to be someday. Organizations like Tesla are working towards a less complex world, adding new dimensions to the existing ones.
Towards a Free World
Why does a human earn? To build a house, to get an education, to receive medical care when needed, to travel, to invest, and most importantly, to eat. If energy is available for free, that’s a huge cost cut. If education becomes free, which it likely will someday, that’s another huge cost cut. Imagine a campus with good food production, ploughed by robots instead of humans. There would be no cost in producing food since everything required is manufactured on the same campus by robots. Robots, guided by humans, teach other humans, eliminating education costs. Fully automated constructors build houses, providing free housing for every family. These campuses can produce every raw material or get it from other interdependent campuses.
Three things remain: travel, investment, and medicine. But what if, instead of buying cars, people rent cars from services like Ola and Uber, which don't charge since the vehicles are automated and driverless? If cars can be made for free, there’s no cost to charge. With everything available for free, medicine would also be free. Doctors would be robots supervised by humans working for free, much like I am writing this blog for free.
Am I talking nonsense? Many readers might say "Yes." But I don’t feel bad because every creative disruption has faced rejection. Cars made horse-drawn carriages obsolete, TV displaced radio, and mobile phones replaced wired services. Every innovation has faced opposition. Even the Church couldn’t uphold its 1500-year-old geocentric theory against Copernicus, who correctly posited that the Earth revolves around the Sun.
For now, I can only say that I believe in the vision of a Free World, and I will continue to do so.
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