The Fifth Revolution
I had this wild dream that the fourth revolution, the AI Revolution, shepherded humanity into this beautiful fifth revolution, where industry as we know it is obsolete. Where computers and AI have completely taken over every single job that humans have and ever will conceive of (production, service, knowledge) and then more. Leaving humans to simply, live. There can be no more wealth hoarding or inequality, because no human has the capability to do anything that amasses wealth, instead AI will do it for you. We will be forced to adapt to a money free life, because there is no logical way for a human to make money, but resources will be abundant as AI will be able to create at an unimaginably faster rate than humans ever could.
If the revolutions were as such, here’s where that leads us.
First revolution: Agricultural
Second revolution: Industrial
Third revolution: Digital
Fourth revolution: AI / Industrial Collapse
Fifth revolution: Humanity
It’s worth noting that it will be extremely painful and oppressive for an extremely long time before we’re able to reach this utopia. We’re only taking the first baby steps into the AI revolution and just barely starting to feel the effects of AI overpowering industry. You can already find lists of “jobs that will be made obsolete by AI” and those lists will only grow and grow and grow and grow. I don’t think in our lifetime or even our children’s life times will they experience the fifth revolution. But it is coming.
Some people I think fear that this revolution will lead us to a WALL-E type situation where we rapidly decline into fat, lazy blobs with no interests, hobbies, talents, etc (no real will to live, just going through the motions). But in my dream, when humans are finally free from the shackles of financial survival, we will thrive.
And to be fair, I have already been witnessing this movement back towards humanity- a desire to develop emotional intelligence, to strengthen communication skills, and a search for deep and wholesome community. Not globally yet, but in my communities I am seeing it and I know it’s happening in some (honestly more wealthy and liberal) parts of the world. People want to connect to what makes us human: our emotions, our thoughts, and our friends and families.