High -tech such as rapidly developing artificial intelligence (AI) is accelerating the replacement of labor.This has caused many people's concerns: What do they do if a large number of people can't find a job?What about society?

I. UBI Social Concept

Some time ago, Sam Altman, president of the technology company OPENAI, launched his "Universal Basic Income (UBI, or comprehensive basic income, basic income of the whole people), that is, he does not distinguish between poverty.Rich, age, gender, etc., unconditionally provide people with basic income to ensure basic life; and people do not have to work, do whatever they want.UBI has different standards. The following is based on higher standards.

It can be imagined: 100 square meters per person, a car, a car of $ 10,000 per month (according to the current price).From the perspective of pure technology or productivity, this standard UBI may really be realized.Although UBI has not yet reached the distribution of communism on demand, it has reached a higher level of all people's lives, and it seems to solve the problem of unemployment and the disparity between the rich and the poor, which seems to be a great benefit.

UBI, how beautiful.But, if it is really realized, will it really be beautiful?What does it mean?

In the last century, economist Keynes predicted that by the 21st century, due to its very well -developed productivity and social wealth, people would live very rich and leisurely.His prediction was half the right and half wrong.His predictions on wealth growth are accurate, global productivity has improved significantly, social wealth has increased rapidly, and almost everyone's living standards have been greatly improved, but his prediction of survival is completely wrong.Not only did people not become leisurely, they were getting busy, and they were in increasingly strong competition.Can UBI break through the "Keynes curse"?(The "Kanes Mantra" can be understood as: the improvement of people's material living standards does not bring about the improvement of life happiness, and even the happiness is reduced.)

2. Social recognition must be based on differences

If humans are like animals, only physiological desires, UBI can not only break through the "Keynes curse", but also break through the "Australian hare loop"."Australian hare loop" refers to the continuous reproduction of the hare, which leads to the relatively scarce natural resources, which leads to a large number of hare starving, and then the natural resources become relatively sufficient. The hare reproduced a lot ...If human beings only have physiological desires, artificial intelligence can increase productivity rapidly, break through the dilemma of lack of resources, and make humans break through the "Australian hare loop".

But the trouble is that humans are not just animals, but also the "spirit of all things."Animal desire seems to have no level, only physiological desires or instinct desires, but human desire (or needs) has layers.Human beings not only have physiological desires, but also social desires; more than, when the satisfaction of physiological desire reaches a certain degree, social desire will become stronger and stronger.The core content of social desire is to gain social recognition (or general meaning, neutral vanity).For example, all kinds of "showing", drinking brand wine, memorizing brand bags, using brand -name perfumes, driving luxury cars, showing off wealth, etc. are all expression of social desire.

It can be seen that the value of some first -tier brands and second -line brands is small, but the price is very different.Compared with the second -line brand, the experience of the first -tier brand brings to the buyers is very small, and sometimes it can even ignore it, but the psychological feeling is very different.In daily words, front -line brands can bring a greater sense of vanity.After satisfying basic physiological desires, people's efforts are mainly to satisfy social desires and take social recognition as the most important goal.This means that the social effects caused by UBI are far less simple and beautiful.

In -depth analysis can find that the satisfaction of physiological desire is the relationship between objects and physiological people, and society recognizes the relationship between others and social people.The former does not need to be based on differences, but the difference is a necessary condition for the latter.For example, a certain food can alleviate hunger, and eater do not have to compare with others.But if someone wants to alleviate hunger and show off than others, he chose a very advanced food. The satisfaction of the previous desire is not based on the difference, but the satisfaction of the latter desire needs to be based on the difference.

A person can also eat on the deserted island isolated from the world, but a person cannot show off on the desert island.In daily life, although a person seems to be "smelly" (self -feelings have some recognition, such as the lonely appreciation of appearance, talent, etc.), he always imagines others and thinks that he is better than others.Therefore, among a group of people, if everyone is the same, no one is recognized nor contempt.If a person is recognized, he must be excellent to others to some extent according to specific value standards.The higher his excellence, the easier it is to be recognized.

Three, the difference between artificial intelligence

However, in the future high -tech society driven by AI as the main driver, as the technical level is getting higher and higher, more and more people cannot compete with AI (other technology).Compared with the products, it is worthless, so the social differences between people are flattened.In other words, compared with people, the level of A may be 40 points, 50 points in B, and 60 points, but they are unqualified compared to AI.The products provided by AI are not only high -quality, but also cheap.If everyone cannot provide products that are better than products produced than AI, they do not constitute differences, so they cannot be recognized.

If AI can achieve self -evolution, human beings will be completely useless; if they cannot, fewer and fewer people can improve AI capabilities.This means that most people are flattened by AI (for people who can improve AI capabilities without discussions).There is no difference between a person who can be admitted to top -level prestigious schools and an ordinary person.

Therefore, in the future, the high -tech society will flatten the differences, flatten everyone, and then smooth the efforts, so that individual efforts cannot create the differences with others, so that they cannot be better than others, cannot get social recognition, and make society desires.Can't get satisfaction, go to despair.

Four, how to build the meaning of life

When almost everyone is flattened, what does they rely on to provide life significance?According to UBI concept, at the level of physiological desire, everyone can live very moisturizing.However, man is not an animal after all, it needs to construct the meaning of life.The construction of life's meaning is first to satisfy physiological desire, and the second is to satisfy social desire.Physiological desires are generally satisfied by UBI. How can social desire be satisfied?

If UBI's idea is realized, people do do whatever they want, but the trouble is that no matter what people do, it doesn't make sense.Because all valuable things are provided by AI in a high -quality and low -quality manner, no matter what people do, it is impossible to provide valuable things for others (or society).Even if some people are unwilling to raise UBI, try to surpass AI by hard work, provide valuable things for society, and obtain more material interests or social recognition, but because AI is becoming stronger and strongerThe closer to zero.

In addition to living at that time, what else can I do like the Australian hare?What does it mean to be alive?If you want to be a happy pig, UBI is heaven; if you want to be a good Socrate, UBI is despair.

Therefore, it can be asked: UBI, is it benefits or despair?

The author is a professor at the School of International Relations of Sichuan University