For sure! I’m definitely hoping to see more workers and employees used to short conference calls while growing up on Skype and Discord. So perhaps as the new generations come into the workforce we’ll see it much more. Definitely seems like I’m much more efficient with my peers while discussing stuff over voice than text.
So we already have plenty of automation... think spreadsheets, data pipelines, etc. I'm not convinced even more automation will mean a better situation for workers. I think it'll just result in even more profits for businesses.
You aren't being cynical, it's basically been the story of the last half century in the US. Despite massive increases in automation of all kinds, most wages haven't kept up with inflation, and wealth inequality is worse than during the gilded age. In the tech sector we are moving toward digital feudalism in which we own nothing and survive only on the good graces of our lords. In the physical world less land than ever is owned by actual human beings, and more is being bought up every day.
It's the efficiency trap. We're orders of magnitude more productive in an information throughput sense than we were 50 years ago, and we're working harder (within white collar business domain).
France is not doing so well, and has been in an economic funk for 20 years. Unemployment is 9%.
The French work the same hours as in Germany really, but the mentality is so different it's worth denoting. I lived in France and adore it, but there is a cynicism/malaise that actually kind of makes me a bit wary of the place.
Downtown Montreal is full of French citizens who came for jobs.
I do understand the sentiment however, 'hours worked' in most major economies is as low as it has been since the dawn of the industrial era. We are generally not overworked.
I think we may be just had a rough 4 years and need to shift our perspective a bit.
