I'm not convinced that people need meaningful work-- for a long time, wealthy people seem to have been content to live for the fun of it. I think we're trained to think we need meaningful work.
It's more plausible that people need to think they make a difference to other people, but that's a matter of social and intimate relationships.
I agree. I also think that we might see what we can do to build solid communities where sharing, experiences, ritual, and life are a major driving force. In other words, the way things were not too long ago. Indigenous cultures could be helpful in reminding us how to live in this manner.
I finally got into Ello (I was mad that I couldn't get an invitation for the longest time). I found this interesting video about automation and what we should do when most jobs no longer require humans. I have often wondered what we were going to do with the millions of unemployed people when machines create untold abundance. What will we need human workers to do? I have thought that there will be certain areas where we will want to interact with people. I think bots and other machines will be more assistants rather than fully taking over tasks in a few areas. I think it will be more balanced but that does not solve the problem of millions of unemployed undermining the economy and the wealth of nations. Do we save the jobs? Do we stop automation? Is this the natural course of history? Should we all be prepared to be destitute? Should we consider minimum income proposals more closely?
The video is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Pq-S557XQU&feature=youtu.be
I found it on this interesting post. He projects a much more dystopian view of the Singularity and how it will affect humanity. I think his post is not mindful of Bostrom's work which I am plowing through but it might provide some discussion fodder.
The post is here:
https://ello.co/scottdakota/post/ofb9vzDer9NoiQvwdueyAg