No, not Allen Iverson.
This weekend, I was having a conversation with someone in the medical field, who was talking about how the world of medicine/treatment will look in the next 10 years. She said a huge segment of the medical field will be handled through artificial intelligence, and there will be less and less need for doctors, nurses etc. Even said they’re developing a pill, if it’s not here already, that will substitute the need for an actual endoscopy/colonoscopy, as it has a camera that takes video from your mouth, all the way to the crack of yo’ ass.
If it improves health care, I’m all for it. However, there’s a scary side of where we’re headed as a society, IMO. There are more self-check outs at Wal Marks, Publix and other stores, than there are employees. We’re ordering way more stuff from Amazon, through apps etc. these days, and box retail stores may soon be a thing of the past. Sounds good for the delivery industry, except that they’re already experimenting with drones to make those deliveries. See where this is going?
Later that night, my son and I went to a restaurant. I only saw one guy behind the counter, and no wait staff. He came out and took our order. After a bit, out comes this R2 D2 looking robot carrying two trays of food. Came right up to the table, and the same guy walks out and takes the trays and puts them on our table. That’s when it really hit me that we are rapidly moving toward a society where, for the most part, a work force won’t be needed. What will people do for income? What happens with the economy?
Take it a step further. I said about 10 years ago, that in my job as an attorney, I may be able to handle my entire practice, hearings and trial included, from my den sofa. It’s coming. I already do Zoom hearings and depositions all the time. Do you need groceries? Great! Just pull up the store’s app and make your list. Don’t inconvenience yourself by driving to that store, or having to actually have some human interaction. Just keep your face buried in your iPhone, and someone will bring those groceries to your door step.
Our world is changing fast. It won’t be long before we never have to leave the house for anything. But, enjoy that house while you can. You won’t be able to pay for it too much longer, because your position at work has been replaced by some form of artificial intelligence.