“Post-AGI, we are all jobless aristocrats” by djbinder

<p> Many economists take a relaxed view of employment post-AGI. Even once AI systems with suitable robotic actuators can perform most white-collar work and manual labor, something will remain scarce, and comparative advantage guarantees that human labor is worth hiring for something at some wage. So people will still have jobs, spending most of their waking hours at work, and the economy will look broadly like today's, including property rights, wage labor, and political institutions protecting these.</p>

<p> I don't think this holds up. It is not obvious that current economic or political structures survive the arrival of AGI at all. Powerful AI systems (or even simply AI-enabled human dictatorships) need no more respect our rights than Stalin respected those of the kulaks. But set those concerns aside and grant an optimistic future where power—and access to the fruits of automation—remain broadly distributed. Even then, mass wage employment does not follow, though I do expect former workers to be fine.</p>

<p> The basic issue is this: why would anyone choose to be employed? People today sell their labor because they need to buy food, shelter, clothes, and other material goods. Post-AGI those goods become abundant and cheap, because they can [...]</p> <p>---</p>

<p><b>First published:</b><br/>

September 11th, 2026 </p>

<p><b>Source:</b><br/>

<a href="https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/4PWHaYWfnFcmKuCcA/post-agi-we-are-all-jobless-aristocrats?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Source+URL+in+episode+description&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/4PWHaYWfnFcmKuCcA/post-agi-we-are-all-jobless-aristocrats</a> </p>

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<p>Narrated by <a href="https://type3.audio/?utm_source=TYPE_III_AUDIO&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=Narrated+by+TYPE+III+AUDIO&utm_term=lesswrong&utm_campaign=ai_narration" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TYPE III AUDIO</a>.</p>