The Right to Work and the Redefinition of Work.
by Peter Naylor
With the advances in AI and robotics, a lot of the traditional roles of the 2020s have been dramatically reduced. While there have been lots of new roles created by these technologies, traditional occupations have a much lower workforce. By 2050, the vehicle fleet will have largely become electric, and a large percentage will be autonomous. Personal vehicle ownership per capita in New Zealand has reduced as we use more ride-share, and live in communities where we can walk or cycle to most places we need to travel to. What this means is that there are far fewer mechanics, panel beaters, taxi/uber drivers, bus drivers, and truck drivers. Roading production and repairs are now done by large, automated machines, meaning that there are far fewer construction workers.
Houses are prefabricated or built in sections in factories with electrical and plumbing services built in ready for snap fitting on site for assembly, so all the construction trades require considerably fewer people.
In the medical profession, we are quicker at diagnosing using AI to review test results more accurately, let alone the reduction in services required due to living a healthier lifestyle and education doesn’t require the traditional 1 teacher to 30 students. By 2050 global population growth will have flattened and is bordering on decline, meaning we don’t need as much new infrastructure.
Legal and accounting services are now largely automated. The social changes over the last couple of decades and changes to the Justice system, mean we need fewer prison and parole officers. The remaining prison facilities are largely automated.
With the advent of more automated defense equipment, the number of frontline armed forces staff has reduced. We have experienced a lessening of international conflict also impacting the staffing levels.
Even farming has been impacted by more automation and the use of big data in farming production. Drones are used in Agriculture for weed and pest control, zapping offenders with lasers. Fruit is harvested and sorted by robots. Even the home gardener may have a robot to help with things like mowing, weed, and pest management.
Hotels are serviced by robots. Over 50% of restaurants predominantly use robots instead of humans. The restaurant table is a touch screen for placing the order, showing the dish you are choosing.
Some barbers have been replaced with machines that can do basic haircuts super quick, however, there are still quite a few people that like the personal touch, so they haven’t completely been replaced.
So, what happened to the surplus people? Like other Industrial Changes, there have been many new roles created, and NZ as an innovative nation has created many new businesses. This was supported by the changes in Education discussed earlier, however, the use of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics has reduced the overall workforce. Early on, it was thought that a Universal Basic Income was the answer and while this would have fulfilled the financial needs for the basic requirements of living it didn’t give people a purpose and it didn’t provide enough income for people to do much more than just survive.
New Zealand chose to introduce a Guaranteed Minimum Income (GMI). To support the GMI several initiatives have been introduced. Examples are things like National Disaster Responders, where people traditionally destined for the armed forces are trained to deal with natural disasters. There would be multiple different roles for example Counsellors and Advisors providing one on one support for affected families or construction roles for the deployment of emergency shelters, bridges, and machinery operators as it would be difficult to use automated equipment to respond. This workforce wouldn’t be required to do a 9-5 day, but they would be required to undertake the necessary training and be ready to deploy when the disaster occurred. The beauty of this is that they have a purpose, and when an event occurs those that are impacted are better supported than ever before.
In the new towns and even the 15-minute cities, there is the opportunity to earn your GMI by providing social services, such as companionship for the elderly, assisting those that have mobility issues, supporting leisure activities, etc. A reasonable number of these new roles would not have been considered essential in the early 2020s, however in 2050 their value is highly regarded.
The value of the ‘stay at home’ caregiver has been recognised. Rather than receiving a subsidy for daycare, the parents receive additional income, this allows for a parent or grandparent to become the primary caregiver without being penalised for not working. Early childhood education has evolved, and parents have access to resources to allow them to educate their youngsters in shared facilities, providing social stimulation for both the child and the caregiver. This has been much easier to facilitate in communities that have embraced the village/town concept or the 15-minute city.
While we have robots to clean the roadsides and beaches, there are still roles to make sure that our environment is pristine. One of the ways to get the GMI is to own the cleanliness responsibility for 10,000 square metres of land and earn for keeping it pristine. Not only does this give a source of income but an individual a sense of purpose and a reason to be proud of their efforts.
There are plenty of people trained to assist those that have suffered injuries like concussions, or other physical injuries. One of the reasons for our improved mental health is that we have plenty of people in the community providing high levels of support.
These are just a few examples of new work.
Over the last 25 years, there have been massive changes in technology and while some of these are easily adopted and take away some of the mundane chores of living such as cleaning the home, there are still a lot of people that don’t necessarily want all the technology, they prefer a simpler lifestyle.
Once again, the village concept supports either the whole village living a simpler life with less technology or individuals in the village may choose this lifestyle. There are even some villages that have created self-sufficient environments, where they grow their own food, make their own clothes, craft their own furniture, make their own crockery etc. Typically, they do still have electricity even if it is from their own sources. They have chosen this lifestyle and still have the freedom to take advantage of other modern technology.
a) Jake, Jess, Lily, John, Sophie, George, Aroha and Jim
In the early 2020s, traditional roles were a cornerstone of the workforce in New Zealand. People relied on jobs like mechanics, taxi drivers, and construction workers to make a living. Then came the technological revolution, powered by AI and robotics, and everything changed.
Meet Jake, a skilled mechanic who had spent years fixing cars. By 2050, the once bustling garage where he worked had fewer vehicles to repair. Most of the country's fleet had gone electric and autonomous, reducing the need for constant maintenance. Jake had to adapt, taking on a new role in the ever-evolving world of technology. He is now a robotics engineer. Not that he built or fixed robots as they were built and fixed by other robots. He is responsible for designing and refining the design so that the robots become even more nuanced.
As the country shifted toward electric and autonomous vehicles, personal ownership of cars declined. Ride-sharing and well-planned communities where everything was within walking or cycling distance have become the norm.
Lily, once a taxi driver, now works in a shared office facility in her community. She owns a fleet of autonomous vehicles. On a daily basis they are all controlled by apps that the consumers of the service use, she just has to deal with any maintenance schedules or the very rare breakdowns. Occasionally a situation arrives where she has to remote log into one of the vehicles and remote drive the vehicle. Most of her vehicles use new airless tyres similar to those used on by the Mars Rover at the turn of the century. Even if she has a breakdown the Automobile Association has evolved so that a robot can be dispatched to the vehicle and fix it remotely.
Construction was another field dramatically affected by technology. Robotic machines have taken over many aspects of roading production and repairs, significantly reducing the need for construction workers. Houses are either prefabricated or built in sections in factories, requiring fewer tradespeople on-site.
John, a construction worker from the early 2020s, has transitioned to operating and maintaining these automated machines. He is part of a new wave of workers who ensure these robots function efficiently.
In the medical profession, AI has revolutionized diagnostics, making it quicker and more accurate. Improved health education and healthier lifestyles have also reduced the demand for traditional healthcare services.
Sophie, a nurse from the 2020s, has retrained to work in AI-assisted diagnostics. Her role involves collaborating with AI systems to provide more accurate assessments and recommendations for patient care. It is now a legal requirement, for a doctor, nurse, or carer to leverage AI in the diagnosis of patients and review the treatment options. In 2023 there was an average of 7000 medical articles published per day, so even then it was impossible for a medical professional to keep up to date with the latest technological advancements. Her AI assistants get updates in real time from across the globe. Sophie gets a DNA diagnosis for George, her patient for under $5 which shows all the complexity of his health issues. For less than $20 a specific course of treatment can be created personally suited to George that minimises the risks of side effects. These medicines are manufactured on-site so there is no longer any need for the advanced purchase of bulk medicines with the risk of expiry or them being superceded. The formula will be based on up to the minute global information.
The surplus of workers who have been displaced by automation find new opportunities in New Zealand's innovative society. The country has implemented a Guaranteed Minimum Income (GMI) to provide financial stability. To earn their GMI, many people embraced new roles that emerge in this transformed landscape.
Jess, for instance, has become a National Disaster Responder, trained to deal with natural disasters. Her role includes providing support for affected families, constructing emergency shelters, and operating machinery during crisis situations. This workforce provides essential assistance during times of need. Most of the time Jess spends in training and preparing as thankfully a major crisis only comes along every couple of years. Jess’s role in these crisis situations means that people and businesses affected by the crisis get immediate support from trained professionals. While Robots can help with some of this work, it still requires human intervention as no two events are the same and the individuals that are impacted each have their own way of coping so human interaction is still superior to AI and robots in these situations.
In the new towns and 15-minute cities, residents, such as Aroha have the opportunity to earn their GMI by providing social services. This includes companionship for the elderly, support for those with mobility issues, and organizing leisure activities. These roles have become highly valued in the community and have contributed to overall happiness of people in Aotearoa.
While technology has simplified many aspects of life, some people still prefer a simpler lifestyle. Villages have emerged where individuals or entire communities embrace a tech-light existence, growing their own food, making their own clothes, and crafting their own furniture. Jim decided to learn how to build furniture by hand using hand tools. He sells his furniture to supplement his Guaranteed Minimum Income. He has retained a sense of freedom while living harmoniously with nature.