Marxism

Karl Marx was a social theorist and economist who was deeply critical of capitalism. He wrote “The Communist Manifesto”, and he believed that capitalism would eventually collapse, and be replaced by a society where the means of production were controlled by the workers. His views were not widely accepted while he was alive, but they have been profoundly influential with political theorists and activists. He died before the widespread adoption of automation but believed it could go two ways. It could either liberate workers, having less need for manual labour, or it could replace and exploit these same workers. He theorised automation could increase productivity and make work easier. It can reduce working time and the labour required, giving more free time for people to pursue their goals and interests.

Automation could also lead to jobs being displaced and the growth of monopolies, which would be the owners of the means of production. Workers will likely lose their jobs, and those who are still employed could be controlled by their employers due to worries about being replaced.

His ideal world with automation would be helping humans with their jobs and leaving them more freedom, not outright replacing them. This would require we change from a capitalist economic system, and move to something closer to socialism. Remove these people who hoard wealth at the expense of their employees, and give to the people. With socialism, these benefits we would see from automation could be shared between everyone, not a small group of capitalists.

In the modern day, it’s shown that Marx was quite accurate with a lot of predictions. Automation has led to increased productivity in lots of different industries. This has increased access to some goods and services for a wider range of people. It has also opened up many large industries, such as software development and robotics.

However, a lot of his negative views are also becoming a reality, with many workers being displaced, especially in manufacturing and agriculture. What used to take many workers now often requires only one. The concentration of wealth resting with owners is getting worse, and there is growing inequality, social unrest and economic disruption. The future of automation, whether it’s liberation or exploitation, depends on the structures in place to manage it.