In a joint collaboration between the Moth Collective and The Guardian, a new short film titled The Last Job on Earth attempts to envision this future.
The Last Job on Earth Synopsis
While we can’t predict the future, we can imagine a world without work – one where those who own the tech get rich from it and everyone else ekes out a living, propped up by an increasingly fragile state. Meet Alice, holder of the last recognisable job on Earth, trying to make sense of her role in an automated world.
Writer & Director: Alistair Campbell
Lead Animator: Carlos De Faria
Editors: Tess Riley, Laura Paddison
Artwork: Stephen Vuillemin, Moth Collective, Sabine Volkert & Frankie Swan
Photo Credit: Moth Collective and The Guardian
The story follows Alice, who appears to be the very last person to even attain a job. How this future affects her mindset can be seen throughout the short film, stuck in a dichotomy of both awe and shame. Though, to be clear, this is not a future of which we at Serious Wonder envision ourselves.
FUTURE IMPLICATIONS
If you think this is nothing more than another sci-fi vision that will never materialize, don’t. According to Moshe Vardi, Professor of Computer Science at Rice University, “Machines could take 50% of jobs in the next 30 years.” Just a couple of years ago I spoke with Serious Wonder‘s CEO Gray Scott, discussing the future of jobs, whereby he noted:
“For the very first time, human beings are being offered a new way of existing on this planet. Advancements in AI and robotics may allow us to automate everything. Robots will harvest, cook and serve our food. They will work in our factories, drive our cars and walk our dogs. Like it or not, the age of work is coming to an end.”
We do not share the Moth Collective or The Guardian‘s vision of the future however. As Techno-Optimists, we envision a future where the advancements of A.I. and robotics are used to help liberate humanity from the menial and monotonous workforce, and thus liberated from wage slavery. With the help of a Universal Basic Income policy, we’d all be able to live our lives comfortably and create a life of which is strictly our own. It is a post-capitalist future, where the profit motive is nonexistent and human rights take precedence. In a jobless future, the only limitation will be our imagination.