The Future of Work in Information Society

This book investigates the question as to whether technological developments will ultimately mean the end of work and, if so, what the consequences will be. The author addresses this question from the perspective of a technologist well versed in econometrics and game theory, and argues that it is not technology alone that could lead to the end of work, but its utilization by the capitalist system. Technology allows us to minimize the costs of work and increase profits, while the system is worsening unemployment, socio-economic inequality and stratification which could lead to the end of capitalism in a massive global revolution. As such, the book proposes an evolutionary reform based on a seemingly minor but in fact essential correction of the corporate income tax, which he proposes should decrease in accordance with the percentage of the enterprise's revenues expended to pay employee salaries. In this way, entrepreneurs will be motivated to implement new professions and occupations, as well as new workplaces. Only in this way, the book argues, can reforms be used to prevent the end of work, which would have catastrophic consequences.

Focuses on the question as to whether technological developments will inevitably lead to the end of work Discusses the consequences of automation and presents possible remedies Written by a technologist with over fifty years of experience in automation and computer technology, and over thirty years of experience in future forecasting Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Autorentext
Andrzej P. Wierzbicki is a specialist in automatic control and informatics with over 50 years experience in these fields and wide international cooperation. He also worked closely with economists on such subjects as decision analysis, game theory, econometrics. Since over 30 years he also collaborates closely with the Committee of Future Studies at the Presidium of Polish Academy of Sciences and specializes in long term forecasts.

Inhalt
Introduction.- Ethical Premises and Values.- Technical Progress in Economics, Market and Democracy and Informational Revolution.- The End of Communism and the Beginning of an End of Capitalism.- A Vision of Informed Society and a Sustainable Redistribution System.- Who will be Adverse?.- Final Conclusions.