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Are we all stuffed?

Wow, there are a lot of negative stories going around about the state of the world and its future.

As usual, there are plenty of stories suggesting that AI will hugely change the face of modern society, relegating large swathes of workers to the dole queue or menial tasks whilst enriching corporations and their shareholders.

Everywhere you look there are companies and corporations looking at shedding workers and replacing them with AI systems. This isn't just affecting clerical staff and call-center operators but also the IT industry itself.

A recent survey indicated that the *majority* of IT departments are now harnessing AI tech to reduce the number of programmers and support people they're employing whilst simultaneously improving productivity.

What does a programmer do after they're laid off and can't find a job because AI does it better and faster?

The other doomsaying crowd are those who are harping on about the way Western economies are changing -- for the worse.

Conspiracy theorists -- or perhaps they're just savvy observers of history and human nature, are already rolling out videos like this (well worth a watch):

Worrying?

Conspiracy?

An undeniable reality?

I guess your opinion will depend on where you stand and what you have to gain or lose by the suggested shift in power and wealth that we're clearly facing.

Perhaps the Western Empire is already past its peak and in "managed decline", as the video suggests. It could be that the future will be much different to the past and "the poor" will consist largely of native-born citizens of Western nations who have been disenfranchised by political agendas *and* the effects of AI.

No home, no job, no prospects -- is that what is to become of the average Western citizen?

We're seeing all three of the nations (and others) mentioned in that video become the target of huge levels of immigration -- as a way of "managing" the decline brought about by falling productivity and fertility. If we extrapolate the path we're currently following it becomes clear that within a few short decades, most Westerners will become a minority in their own countries and that the democratic system that has served them well up until now will soon hand control over to the growing number of migrants.

This could turn countries such as the UK into Islamic nations, at which time the rights, freedoms and beliefs of the native-born citizens may be actively curtailed by law.

Yeah, it sounds pretty dark but on the other hand this is by no means a certain outcome of the current situation.

I would like to believe that before things get too bad, people will work out what's going on and force a remedy upon their delinquent governments. Certainly the UK is getting close to this point right now and I shall be watching with great interest, the outcome of a march/demonstration scheduled for the 13th of this month.

That demo is likely to be the largest ever seen in the UK and could well force the government into an early election or at least a leadership change. Unfortunately, neither of those actions will solve the problem since the UK is, much like most other Western nations, the victim of a system where all the major parties are just different sides of the same coin.

Here in NZ we're a bit better off than the UK, Canada and Australia. Although we also have rapidly declining rates of home ownership and a ridiculously over-priced priced property market driven by a shortage of stock, our migration numbers seem to be far better controlled -- although perhaps more restrictions on foreign property ownership might be worth considering.

Let's just grab some popcorn, sit back and watch the three countries mentioned in that video with a view to ensuring that New Zealand doesn't end up following closely in their wake.

Even if the worst does happen though, we may not own anything but we will be happy (by order of the WEF).

Carpe Diem folks!

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