Imagine this scenario:
- All companies start producing mostly using only AI and firing people, because people have no use anymore
- Joe spend most of his income on digital video games products
- Joe get fired because he got replaced by AI now, since AIs are taking over most jobs
- Joe has no income anymore
- Joe doesn’t have any more money to spend on video games
- Companies have no more profit, because people don’t have income, so people can’t spend on their AI produced products
In this scenario both lose, the company adopting AI and the worker. Am I missing something? Is there any possibility besides Universal Basic Income to keep the system running and not collapsing?


Basically rich who own resources will trade between each others. Poor will become poorer and eventually either become “slaves” or go anarchy in territories which have no interest for rich. Before that happens there will be transition period when not rich but still sociopathic enough will be still paid well to oppress poor to extremes where there are no means to resist. This will continue until oppression can be automated. Then oppressors will face same oppression. Basically max level post apocalyptic capitalism cyberpunk but without widely available fancy prosthetic. More of junkyard, gangs, eat worms cyberpunk for most of us. Likely it will take maybe few of hundreds years to get to such extreme point, depending on how dumb and passive humanity will be. Though there will be few points where we will have a chance to revolt. I think there’s a decisive point somewhere within nearest 10-15 years. If AI thing won’t burst within this time we will have next critical point somewhere in 30-60 years after first point. This is where things will start really affect future middle class. After that point if there will be no global change we are fucked.
P.S. This is all pulled out of my ass. I’m probably wrong. Do something about it if you can/want, but don’t stress about it. Stressing doesn’t help. If it makes it easier for you - we are unlikely to live long enough to be affected significantly