New York Times Bullshit Crosses Into Comedy Gold: A.I. and Big Data Could Power a New War on Poverty

January 2nd, 2018

Here’s one for your Not-The-Onion file folder.

At the link, there’s a picture of a robot shaking hands with a human.

Here’s an idea for a New York Times OpEd: “How to Get a Suntan from a Nuclear Bomb Blast.”

For my story idea, they could show a nice mushroom cloud going up into the sky with a bunch of celebrities on a beach, basking in the… flash.

“If you’re far enough away from ground zero, just close your eyes, and a split second later, you’re done. Sure, nuclear explosions can be a pain, but there’s no reason to let them ruin your day. Turn that frown upside down and get ready to party!”

As for the OpEd below, which tries to smooth over what’s coming with a bunch of Magic 8 Ball codswallop, here’s a look at the implications of those driving jobs going away:

It should be clear at a glance just how dependent the American economy is on truck drivers. According to the American Trucker Association, there are 3.5 million professional truck drivers in the US, and an additional 5.2 million people employed within the truck-driving industry who don’t drive the trucks. That’s 8.7 million trucking-related jobs.

We can’t stop there though, because the incomes received by these 8.2 million people create the jobs of others. Those 3.5 million truck drivers driving all over the country stop regularly to eat, drink, rest, and sleep. Entire businesses have been built around serving their wants and needs. Think restaurants and motels as just two examples. So now we’re talking about millions more whose employment depends on the employment of truck drivers. But we still can’t even stop there.

Those working in these restaurants and motels along truck-driving routes are also consumers within their own local economies. Think about what a server spends her paycheck and tips on in her own community, and what a motel maid spends from her earnings into the same community. That spending creates other paychecks in turn. So now we’re not only talking about millions more who depend on those who depend on truck drivers, but we’re also talking about entire small town communities full of people who depend on all of the above in more rural areas. With any amount of reduced consumer spending, these local economies will shrink.

Looks like that AI is going to be busy fighting that, “New War on Poverty.”

Other Not-The-Onion wars to note:

The War on Drugs
The War on Cancer
The War on Terror

Via: New York Times:

When it comes to artificial intelligence and jobs, the prognostications are grim. The conventional wisdom is that A.I. might soon put millions of people out of work — that it stands poised to do to clerical and white collar workers over the next two decades what mechanization did to factory workers over the past two. And that is to say nothing of the truckers and taxi drivers who will find themselves unemployed or underemployed as self-driving cars take over our roads.

But it’s time we start thinking about A.I.’s potential benefits for society as well as its drawbacks. The big-data and A.I. revolutions could also help fight poverty and promote economic stability.

3 Responses to “New York Times Bullshit Crosses Into Comedy Gold: A.I. and Big Data Could Power a New War on Poverty”

  1. pookie says:

    “The big-data and A.I. revolutions could also help fight poverty and promote economic stability.”

    Winner of the January 2018 Newspeak contest, sponsored by the Ministry of Truth.

  2. cryingfreeman says:

    I may have said this before, but a few years ago I was reading an old Cold War era book on the subject of WW3 when I stumbled upon some commentary about future robotics.

    Essentially, the book suggested that WW3 would become radically more viable to the elites than hitherto when technology has advanced far enough to allow most menial jobs to be undertaken by robots instead of humans.

    I dunno about everyone else, but I could readily envisage how A.I. and big data could combine here to power a new and final war on poverty by removing everyone from the planet that’s replaceable by a robot.

  3. prov6yahoo says:

    The War for Drugs
    The War for Cancer
    The War for Terror
    The War for Poverty
    The War on Peace
    The War on Education
    The War on Healthcare
    The War on Freedom

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