On Wed, 2008-09-03 at 13:36 +1200, Don Gould wrote: > If we get to the point where robots build houses for us, what will we > end up doing for work? > > It's ok for the few people that can own one of these machines...
As the best ones are going to self-replicate, it won't be just limited to an elite few. > Do we all just end up being accountants and web designers? Nope. Computers were supposed to do all the thinking - it didn't quite work out that way. While commerce has subverted them into a way of investigating and controlling its clients, many people have used them for what they are - another tool to help them do what they like to do better. Fabricators and robots will go the same way - unless we're daft enough to let commerce control what they can and cannot do. I can see that there will be 3 ways to get new physical objects: Get a cheapo mass-produced one (off the shef, fab on demand or download one off the interwebs), design one yourself (fab it on your own facilities, or send the plans to a smithy), or get someone who is really good at designing to do it for you. The availability of customised fabrication facilities may even boost the numbers of artisans. Vik :v)
