Table of Contents
D. Why Machines and Automation are increased
The more human abilities reduce, the more food availability reduce, and the more drinkable water reduce, we need to reduce the amount of works human do and pass the work to machines. This is because machines can keep working 24×7 like a task. Of course, they need energy, but because they don’t have other needs such as emotion, feelings, healing, and empathy, their work output per unit of energy is far superior to humans. So, if we are to arrange supply for the increasing population, we are to increase that supply through machines and automation.
E. The fundamental problem with increased productivity through reduced human participation
Increased machines decrease fertility, and therefore increase aging population
Let us consider that in modern days, technology-assisted machines can take care of about 70% of all the productivity needed for the entire human population. 30% of humans are required to maintain the systems. Even if we consider that we can keep producing food, energy, and water for 10 billion people for the next 100 years with 2 billion people working, about 8 billion people, or 70-80% of the human population can not thrive. We have already read above, how thriving is inversely correlated to the availability of resources.
When we are busy arranging food and meeting daily needs, our brain gets a purpose, and when that purpose is eliminated, our brain starts getting aggressive. An aggressive brain reduces reproduction. Therefore even though the human population increased exponentially since 10,000 BCE, when we started agricultural colonies, the reproduction rate(which is also called the fertility rate) has reduced consistently.
The problem with a low fertility rate is that it is hard to replace the aging population. The more we get older, our ability to work further reduces.
More unproductive and lazy population
Not only the aging population is a concern, but at the same time, when 20% of people have the skills to participate in the production for 100% of the earth’s population, then those 20% suffers from overwork. When they see that they are getting exhausted working, whereas others are enjoying the same life without putting in any effort, their willingness to work also reduces. As we are social animals, the majority trend always influences us. Therefore as the percentage of the unproductive population increases, the productivity of the productive population also decreases.
2. Food is limited, and so are energy and water, and so when they are put in one, they get removed from the other aspects of life.
