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I think people are lying to themselves because they simply cannot imagine a world where humans can exist without working. And if you believe that (which I do, simply because I see no movement toward my government being willing to allow people to exist without working) then the idea that AI is coming for your job is scary, in fact a threat to your existence. And add in the class snobbery in which people assume that robots are only going to be used to replace those stupid working class people who work with their hands doing menial labor. They think their work is too important and sophisticated for a robot or an AI. It’s a psychological thing where admitting that AI is capable of your job means that that you’ll be just like those old factory workers who they sneered at in the 1990s.
Which western countries support you enough as a student to live without extra income and/or being housed and fed by family?
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And out of those who do work, huge fraction actually works jobs that are totally made up by the government, either directly or by regulatory requirements in things like civil rights, financial law compliance etc.
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