Have you ever thought about a question: what kind of impact will new technological developments such as AI, robotics, and automation have on our lives in the next few years?
First, we can imagine that in the next five to ten years, the primary issue we will face is that more and more industries will no longer require human labor. From agriculture and manufacturing to services, the impact of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and automation will be greater and more powerful than the impact of e-commerce on traditional businesses.
Indeed, we are about to welcome a new industrial revolution, and more people will deeply feel its effects. The development of new technologies brings higher productivity and efficiency, allowing for greater output with less labor cost and resource investment.
However, at this time, what should the majority of people, who are the main service providers in this industrial transformation, do? One thing is clear: the new productivity brought by these advancements will not be sufficient to meet the entire market’s employment needs. The development of technologies such as artificial intelligence will inevitably lead to new contradictions, affecting millions of us. The first group to be impacted will be the vast middle class.
The middle class, as the main force of consumption, influences the economic pulse of society. How to ensure the stability of the livelihoods of this group is a question that needs to be addressed moving forward.
This is fundamentally a question of resource redistribution. Higher productivity means more resources can be produced. The “cake” has grown larger, but how to distribute the produced resources fairly to the broader market is crucial. The benefits brought by increased productivity must be felt by everyone, which requires the formulation of new strategies, and the sooner, the better.
Just like the recently introduced e-commerce tax, new tax policies will inevitably emerge for AI, robotics, and automation industries. For instance, special taxes could be established for companies using these new technologies, targeting the increased corporate benefits generated by AI, robotics, and automation technologies, such as an AI industry tax, a robotics industry tax, and an automation industry tax. At the same time, this portion of tax revenue should be reasonably redistributed, such as mandating that 50% of this tax revenue be used for public welfare, directly distributing cash to families or individuals, which is essentially a direct distribution of industrial dividends, allowing the benefits of industrial transformation to reach the broader population and impact countless households.
I believe this should be the trend of the future. As long as policies are reasonable and methods are appropriate, the development of artificial intelligence, robotics, and automation technologies will not only not bring challenges to our lives but will also significantly improve the quality of life for the people. At that time, we will no longer have to work hard, nor worry about making a living, and will have more time to enjoy life and the happiness brought by the new era of technology.