Peter G. Kirchschlaeger is Ethics-Professor and Director of the Institute of Social Ethics ISE of the University of Lucerne (Switzerland). He is President of the Swiss Federal Ethics Committee on Non-Human Biotechnology and a consultative expert in ethics of international institutions, organizations, companies, and NGOs.
So-called “AI” – more adequately defined as “Data-Based Systems (DS)” – are already changing human lives today. They open new horizons for innovating business models and economic systems as well as new forms of work. This dynamic will create new jobs. DS has the capacity to ease our existence, support the growth of productivity and innovation, and amplify human cognitive functions.
At the same time, the disruptive impact of digital transformation and DS on human labor as well as on education and professional training deserves close consideration. Digital transformation and DS lead to challenges for workers, employers, and policymakers one can already see today, e.g., inhumane working conditions, decrease of wages.
Beyond that, the question arises whether digital transformation and the use of DS will lead to a massive reduction of paid professional tasks for humans or not. This question is often answered with a historical response, namely that this fear always came up amid a technological surge but so far, more technology has always caused more human jobs.
Comparing digital transformation and DS with earlier technology-based eras of change, unique characteristics of digital transformation and DS indicate that this time will be different, among others:
- – Unlike earlier technology-based eras of change, digital transformation and DS are, first of all, not about making work easier for humans, but replacing humans in the value chain for reasons of cost-efficiency.
- – Digital transformation and DS aspire to require little to no human input.
- – Digital transformation and DS concern all professional jobs (e.g., robot surgeons, robot lawyers, etc.) – not just paid professional tasks requiring low or no qualification that were affected by earlier technology-based transformations.
These and other unique characteristics of digital transformation and DS form 30 differentiators from earlier technology-based eras of change hollowing the main argument against the potential of massive reduction of paid professional tasks for humans, namely that never in human history innovation-based shifts have led to a decrease in jobs.
Combined with other considerations, this analysis results in the assessment that likely many more paid professional tasks for humans will disappear than will be created due to digital transformation and DS, which significantly distinguishes this transformational era from other surges of innovation.
In a next step of this ethical reflection, the massive reduction of paid professional tasks for humans is ethically assessed. From an ethical point of view, fewer working hours and more free time are not necessarily a bad thing. It becomes ethically problematic if the disappearing sources of income, of financial means for social welfare, but also of other aspects forming together 40 functions that paid professional tasks fulfill for humans like structuring daily life, providing purpose of life or identity for humans, are not addressed and if the core consequence of digital transformation and the use of DS is not considered: fewer and fewer humans will directly participate and partake in a more efficient and effective value chain.
We have to acknowledge the systemic nature of digital transformation of human labor and the impact of DS on human work, namely the end of the striving of the economy for full employment. This systemic changeover needs to be taken seriously by avoiding placing the burden of it on the shoulders of individuals – irresponsibly calling for in-service training and upskilling for a job market that won’t exist anymore – but by developing a systemic response to a systemic transformation.
Based on my research, I suggest a concrete model fostering the ethical opportunities and mastering or avoiding the ethical risks of digital transformation of human labor and the impact of DS on human work: the Society-, Entrepreneurship-, Research-Time-Model (SERT).
SERT represents a conditional decoupling of income and work aiming at contributing to the survival and to a life as humans – i.e. with dignity – for all humans. SERT encompasses fivepillars:
1. The payment of a higher basic income: this covers not only the needs for a physical survival of humans but also allows for a life as a human – a life with human dignity.
2. A conditional decoupling of income and work: It consists of a commitment of the same time-duration by each person to society (“society-time”), which is demanded of each person in return for the basic income. Analogously to the already existing and positively proven model of the Swiss Civil Service, every person could choose freely and autonomously from a broad array of options in which area to contribute to the good of society as a whole. Digital transformation of human labor and the impact of DS on human work will not make these professional tasks that serve the good of society disappear for humans but even less marketable, e.g., taking care of elderly humans which need support is usually not a profitable business but the right thing to do from an ethical perspective. SERT embraces these professional tasks serving the good of society for humans with the “society-time”. The administration of SERT is digitalized, using, e.g., DS and blockchain technology.
3. The opportunity for all humans to enjoy during the “society-time” some or all of the 40 functions of paid professional tasks.
4. The incentives for entrepreneurship and for innovation: SERT offers a reduction in the duration of “society-time” or even an exemption from “society-time” when committing oneself to education, research and science, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
5. Distribution of growing economic profits: A more efficient and effective value-added chain results in more resources so a higher basic income not only guaranteeing physical survival for all humans but also a life with human dignity does not fail because of lacking financial means. These profits ethically necessary fair distribution consists in harmonizing taxation globally, taxing capital rather than work as well as taxing DS and data.
Watching DS stealing our jobs without acting upon it would mean fostering social inequality and injustice, probably provoking social unrest and ending a peaceful coexistence in our societies.
The realization of SERT would allow humans to flourish and open our societies to a sustainably peaceful future.
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