The Age of Robots: Changes in Forms of Exploitation and a New Crisis in Wealth Concentration
In today's era, the rapid development of robotics and artificial intelligence technology is reshaping our production and lifestyle. Although robots are expected to end some traditional forms of manual labor exploitation, they are also pregnant with the emergence of new types of exploitation, such as data exploitation, attention exploitation, etc. The widespread use of robots has also exacerbated the high concentration of wealth, the concentration of key resource production in the hands of a few countries and enterprises, and the widening gap between the rich and the poor may lead to social unrest and even the danger of "neo-feudalism".
In the manufacturing sector, the large-scale use of robots has significantly reduced the need for manpower. In the case of Foxconn, the number of employees at the company fell from 1.1 million in 2012 to 500,000 in 2016, mainly due to the introduction of robots to replace human labor. According to the International Labour Organization, by 2030, about 20 million manufacturing jobs worldwide will be replaced by robots. This will undoubtedly lead to mass unemployment and increase the gap between rich and poor. From this point of view, robots do have the potential to put an end to some forms of exploitation of physically intensive labor.
We also need to recognise that under the logic of capitalism, exploitation is difficult to eliminate at all, it is only a formal change. With the development of robotics and artificial intelligence technology, some new forms of exploitation are emerging, such as data exploitation, attention exploitation, etc. Our data, privacy, and attention are all at risk of being exploited. In his writings, the French thinker Althusser pointed out that exploitation is often mystified to the detriment of the survival of the exploited. We need to be very vigilant to prevent the emergence of new forms of exploitation.
The age of robots has also exacerbated the high concentration of wealth. On the one hand, robotics and artificial intelligence technology itself is highly dependent on some key resources, such as rare earths, lithium and other mineral resources, and the production of these resources is highly concentrated in a few countries, such as China, which has a dominant position in this regard. On the other hand, the application of robotics and artificial intelligence technology has also exacerbated the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few enterprises and individuals. According to a study, by 2030, 60% of global GDP will be accounted for by the top 10% of the population.
The high concentration of wealth not only exacerbates the gap between rich and poor, but can also trigger new social unrest and crises. Some left-wing thinkers predict that a "neo-feudalism" may emerge in the future, in which a small elite monopolizes large resources and wealth, while the majority is in a state of exploitation and domination. In this context, urban-rural polarization, technologically exacerbated inequality, and the binding of users and laborers encouraged by localism may all be factors driving "neo-feudalism."
Although the robot age is expected to put an end to some traditional forms of exploitation, it is also pregnant with the emergence of new types of exploitation. The high concentration of wealth could also trigger a new social crisis and even lead to the emergence of "neo-feudalism". Therefore, we need to attach great importance to this problem and formulate corresponding policies to prevent and respond to it. Only in this way can we truly enjoy the dividends brought by the robot age and avoid falling into new exploitation and crises.