Inspired by digital dystopia and the trend of extraordinary AI technology, this speculative design presents a concept of the jobless future. Will new technology pose a threat to the workforce or will it create more diverse employment opportunities? I think the problem is not the technology, but the additional option for decision makers. History, Chapter 5 of the famous novel The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, gives us a good clue. Against the backdrop of the Great Depression, Tom Joad and his family were forced off the farmland because the decision was made to use the farmland as a source of profit for corporations rather than food for the people. History repeats itself. When technology provides a high level of efficiency, the majority of the labour force is eventually displaced. The project is therefore designed to warn against a future devaluation of the labour force.
Speculative Design, 2020, 56 x 40 cm
Warning about the future threat to the workforce
Inspired by digital dystopia and the trend of extraordinary AI technology, this speculative design presents a concept of the jobless future. Will new technology pose a threat to the workforce or will it create more diverse employment opportunities? I think the problem is not the technology, but the additional option for decision makers. History, Chapter 5 of the famous novel The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, gives us a good clue. Against the backdrop of the Great Depression, Tom Joad and his family were forced off the farmland because the decision was made to use the farmland as a source of profit for corporations rather than food for the people. History repeats itself. When technology provides a high level of efficiency, the majority of the labour force is eventually displaced. The project is therefore designed to warn against a future devaluation of the labour force.
