Will Humans Win Out Over Robots?

So do humans still have an advantage over robots or or or is the world about to be taken over by Roma technology used for the line of fire with your host activist and author, international speaker and theologian Dr. Michael Brown your voice of moral cultural and spiritual revolution Michael Brown was the director of the coalition of conscience and president of fire school of ministry get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34-TRUTH 866-34-TRUTH here again is Dr. Michael Brown. I am looking at a headline right now. A glimpse of the future experts take first steps to create robot strawberry pickers who could and then need for humans toiling in fields yet. This is a headline for the last 24 hours. Is this what's coming, robots displacing humans maybe from difficult jobs may be from all kinds of jobs.

What does the future hold yeah and ROBOT strawberry pickers. Here's another headline.

Also within the last 24 hours. This robot will hunt lionfish to save coral reefs image was going to do that right underwater little fish. This robot will hunt lionfish to save coral reefs out what's coming next. Artificial intelligence, taking over the world. It seems I was preaching in Australia couple years ago and mentioned what was happening in Syria suddenly someone's iPhone went on and began to respond. Thinking I was calling for Siri. You've heard the stories of somebody's Amazon echo at home overhearing something on TV and getting online ordering a product smart televisions, monitoring what happens in your home where things going and is there human advantage over robots. My guest today is Prof. J Richards.

This, of course, Michael Brown, welcome to the line of fire and Jay's. One of these guys is not just really smart, sharp, well-educated, great Christian perspective, but he smart, well-educated nares that I'm not which makes him seem all the more smart to me. He is Prof. in the bush's school of business at the Catholic University of America, senior fellow with the discovery institutes of scientific background as well as economic background, executive editor of the stream where publish virtually all my articles so hopefully with the stream regular stream.org. The host of a force for good on EWTN authored many books including some bestsellers, but refocusing today on his new book the human advantage the future of American work in an age of smart machines. J.

Welcome back to the line of fire microgrid Buick. So why did you write this book.

Always the starting point why this book. Why now well started out really creative and really life equal to another book written on a greeting God really come the defense of free enterprise were Christian perspective, but I ended that book. I realize that actually the human capacity of creatures made in the image of God to create new ideas with credit. Underappreciated economic point always wanted to write something on that but I really got down to it I realized what everyone is talking about Lisa in the literature on economic I was not supposed robot apocalypse of the robot artificial intelligence were thinking of a covertly Job in the next coming decade or maybe decade half metal that directly challenges the idea of human uniqueness as I speak to that and make the case for human uniqueness and human creativity and learn a bunch of new stuff that I didn't know before you ended up on the other side. You know, the authors sometimes the book you start out writing the book that you end up with and this is where we ended up with the human vanity that landed on just as daily reports tell us about amazing things that robots are doing are supposedly not. I was in the article. No couple months back after getting a new artificial intelligence vacuum packing machine that plots out the room and sends himself on exactly where it did the work. It goes back home to its charger to get recharged before launching out again and got me thinking about countries like Japan where you have an aging population and you now have robots keeping the elderly given them company in care and things like that.

So it seems that that's the way things are going so couldn't be that our human brilliance creates these amazing robots and then we can kind of sit back and just enjoy life. I figure it out. You read the book you know I don't buy well about anything. Don't worry but no job to appear. In fact, I actually think you number of jobs were doing the waves were doing things right now are either to be transformed or replaced by machines in the next 25 or 30 years actually agree on that point. The longer I live the more convinced I became about but I also think effective for you to do other things that you don't do now and that we never even thought of doing her time doing thing that is the happens were going to be able to make machine can do until the farming print that I actually think robot picking strawberries with a much longer term prospect because it involved complex bodily movements and reaching down for strawberries.

Of course, we already use machine the shake Apple loose from. Go that easy to make machine to do the things and so what you discover that there's a lot of things that you might think really hard things like winning a chapter beating the world champion to Jeopardy we can actually make machine to do that but getting machine fitted the canoe landscaping or fine carpentry. That's actually much more difficult thing to be also full factory job as well as white-collar office jobs from accountants and financial planners that are going to go the way of the dodo bird. I think then the little jobs that involve complex bodily bill that are actually going to be around a lot longer than some of the ones that you think we might not be able to cavort machine you know it's it's interesting you mention that because we have voice recognition that is advanced well beyond handwriting recognition, and I remember 15 years ago getting a program and it was can be the new thing and handwriting recognition. You had a training and I spent days and days and another member each time and then they just drop the product so it is kind of interesting that things artificial intelligence do certain things better than others, but but ultimately we want a major on that the human advanced edition friends. If you have a question about the spirit related to artificial intelligence related to how this works out with the economy or even larger economic questions about socialism versus capitalism will take some calls as well. 866-348-7884 and you know these are subjects I don't speak on much because they're not in my areas of strength, so this is a good opportunity for you to ask someone who's got some expert feedback for you so you start off the book hat habit we get here and in your first chapter from hunter gatherers to homeowners.

The evolution of the American dream.

So take us through the habit and we get herein where the American dream come from the American dream that we now call it a backward term that includes going in 1931 or was really the idea of owning a family farm.

So many of the emigrant specter that came from Europe and all the Irishmen there, mostly tenant farmers.

There were craft, they are darling during the massive wave of Irish immigration vendors dream unit.

They landed in New York City or in Boston, of owning apartment up until the time of really after the Civil War. That was the Kandake dream for free American. Own their own family farm password to the mid-20th century thing 1951 people were thinking that way for less than half the population of that you lived on farms is a lot of people really thinking about job in a €30 number and owning a home builder, then by the mid-20th century, over 60% of the population own home now if you ask your millennial dinner 20 they don't talk about living on farms they don't really talk about owning homes. They talk about something, vaguer than that is really the opportunity to create value for other people that the thing that I hear over and over so that the thing I think is really important to preserve not simply the version of the American dream. What makes sense given our particular stage of economic development. The other reason to make this historical story right in the beginning of the book as I wanted people to realize that what happened now it happened other times in the past is not the first time we've been on an inflection point between one completely one type of economy in the something is radically different, just that move from the agrarian stage, which is where the American founding work started on the American founding 95% of the population living and working on farms and by 1900 and Population.

Now Michael less than 2% of the population lives and works on farms and so tempting to think the skeptic might if that will gossip farming gets really productive with only humans infant will be thousands of people most the population will be out of work at one have anything to do with those methods the selection when they moved away from an agrarian economy. We can end up with prominent technological unemployment what people do, they just did and started doing different things so that now most of the jobs that people do now will even exist at the time of the American family and no one could have imagined that what were doing right now. Imagine this in 1776, or even in 1800 until after we don't actually know what can happen in the future because we we camp the end of the future and thought my argument is that let us look at other times in history in which economies of transformed radically in figure what happened then is no reason to think that what's happening now to be different in time what content written out if anything is just that the changes happening much more quickly than have not asked to insult something I want to come to this and just looking at some of the questions being posted on our lifestream on YouTube of people are wondering about certain ethical questions Reaven gospel related questions a tie-in with artificial intelligence, trans-humanism that will contact the bit which will make a bold prediction go on a limb here is a non-economist in a non-futurist on amicable predictions or maybe there is someone listening right now and they their mechanic right in their thinking, oh man, you be able make a robot that's going to be able to repair cars better than me right leg, but my prediction is that this guy could then become a robot repair man. We think that say their job is a classic problem of economic trouble and being in the on thing what we notice what we speak is the job to get replaced.

Don't have a hard time picturing the job. It pops up as a result of the new opportunity not only for the limo and is if you think back on the right got my first PC in 1985's in the business world. They predict that by good amount so computers have changed the world dramatically and yet, you now have computer programmers do you have so again you can you can't foresee all of this, but because you are an economist, and because you are a futurist as well.

Looking implications looking at how things work in society as a whole.

I will explore these with you. We come back. My guess Prof. Jay Richards. His new book the human advantage the future of American work in an age of smart machines.

If you have a question you can call 866-34-TRUTH 784 or you can post it on YouTube or Facebook and try to apply the severe questions just getting started.

Her plan and it's the line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown. Your voice is more cultural and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown and transfer on fire. This is Michael Brown my special brand-new book, the human advantage J as as you lay out the foundation how we got here, your first chapter from hunter gatherer to homeowners and then rise of the robots will smart machines eat all the jobs we see little glimpses here and there may be a video of of a robot running and look at this and that we know about recent robotic taught technology and developed in Israel this little robot goes through your bloodstream and and perform surgery and work has a camera and things like that but but how how far is the technology really gone as you research for this book what you discover. Well, what a cover to think about artificial intelligence as we. Think like Google that the real artificial intelligence that most of. Every day actually really astonishing. I mean, I find it. How good Google is guessing what it is I'm looking for but you have to remember Google is not from computer in a room somewhere. What is the network algorithm network everybody else using Google so they type in a question in the name of Troy what you doing you do that your teaching Google in a way, a little piece of information for the artificial intelligence that week. Google is actually about complex well-designed network of millions and millions of intelligent agent are not dealing with some kind of independent robot on the other. If you think about the most fabulous claims of science fiction. The idea robot to receive becoming conscious free agent like we are those reports the most interesting movie to watch about that. There's no reason in the world to think anything like that happen is normally the computer to get really fat and become a conscious agent and to think that if the tractor becomes really strong to overcome a giant are just different kinds of things is nothing about computation of happening inside a computer that any connection with what's happening in the mind, conscious human being the nap I think more people get mixed up week. These amazing things that mimic intelligent because they're designed to do that and then we make the Little League based on the looming thing. Things are going to come conscious at some point in that I have the really big philosophical blooper you can make really strong thought of the arguments for why that's not the case but I just encourage everyone cover those ideas in your mind working to get amazing things that mimic intelligence because you designed them to do so were not going to create machines that are literally intelligent, like we are right so there's something unique about human consciousness that does distinguish is not just from the animal world sin, but also from the world of artificial intelligence so that it okay is this just something we play the devils advocate here is this just something you're saying because of your deeply committed Christian philosophy is this is a system hope you're clinging to that that you were different because were made by God. What if we just evolved, like everything else, then why couldn't artificial intelligence evolve the key question is your Michael in the book is not a Christian book and not become public by the Christian publisher. I don't read supposed Christian theology in the book of the realtor. I can make inexplicably Christian argument against materialism and stronger intelligence, but by doing the book of make what I consider common sense argument.

You actually have to it though that were made to the image of God. Just take a person just take what you already know you already know that your conscious agent you know that you can affect the material world and you move your body around and move thing by a conscious choice of the will to exercise freedom if you just assume all those things that you know most directly to be true you already have enough doubt the material of superstition that everything can be reducible to blind atoms colliding with Adam from physical physical laws. You have all the reason in the world to believe that materialism is the true you from your own existence and experience of the free and conscious agent now.

I think that'll make a lot the Christian framework that I really think of someone willing to be honest about what they experience directly about themselves they already know that the person with not just consciousness but with freedom, with the ability to affect the material world around actually don't think that's compatible with materialism in the conclusion the book actually quote the materialist will tell us that materialism is true. There are no persons are thought art about anything. There are no moral truth of the smart materialist hello is the are the implications of their spirit and and wasn't a debate you did with Christopher Hitchens. We kind of just laid out the question with which of these is more logical. Which worldview which the discussion of origins makes more sense. So your appeal was just to look at this rationally and and at your approach. Your correct. It is exactly rather than increase opposing the Christian worldview and arguing against something with you, and I think a perfectly legitimate thing to do but not what I wanted to do here. I wanted to make a public argument.

Just as I did with fiction. I didn't know Chris you're itching that if he doesn't believe in God he doesn't know that murdered no impact that the Christian religions know perfectly well that murder is wrong. The question is if they want view of reality that a moral truth make more fat in the theistic viewer.

There is a rational and good God or just all matter blind matter in motion.

So it's not whether the atheist of the material. In no certain truth. The question of the but if they take that to be true that they are persons that have freedom is really making the materialistic worldview unaffected. So a large part of your book. J is devoted to rebuilding a culture of virtue. So you're actually looking at moral issues moral implications of where things are going with artificial intelligence and obviously we rely on it more and more I I know my way around to less places now because everything is GPS and I don't I don't think about where I'm going try to remember directions, but that you stress the human difference what only we can do. Fear not, courage and a major disruption. So if we have to rebuild a culture virtue, what is it that we've lost.

What is it that we had that is fallen apart actually okay Berkshire with my argument not completely look if we as human beings are uniquely free agent. Then we can develop Berkshire and what virtue is that you focus on an action that you constantly that they want to learn to play the piano to practice it every day starts out just as drudgery then becomes a habit and do it automatically if you keep doing it eventually worked its way back into your being one of them to become more than you were before you've acquired a virtue in other something that normally a little kid that you just leave them to their own devices they don't tend to develop you purchased the Novello-reactive institution like family and neighborhood group churches in cultures that reinforce the thing, because children humans all start out baby. They need to be in other human petitions and social setting that teach them the virtues of my argument is that back to give the offender virtues we really need to focus on in order that we can really develop a comparative advantage in a world in which machines do many of the thing that previously only we could do an act. I think I think the hardest part of the message of the book is that in just a moment in which things are changing more rapidly than ever have before.

The very cultural institutions. We need to develop this newsletter virtues are most under attack right so again when when we put the emphasis on robots can do this and do that and so replace humans, then we forget what humans really all about this. The things that make us special. The things that stand out because were creating God's image and not primarily the fact that we have a some, and that some enables us to do things that other animals can't do, or that even we can learn how to use tools better and so make guns to tissue that they are there other things about us. So just the call for courage where where does that fit in in the human advantage in an epic worker work or joy talk about whatever information economy really like, well, it highly disruptive, growing and changing the really exponential speed digital with me for making one more thing got a bit rather than Adam it ever more connected to network and it hyper information all draw a bunch of big words of the that's what makes the information economy one is in the virtue corresponding to each of the thing though the high disruption reading a bunch of stuff coming in the job. The ministries that appear in in two years later did, we do what you gotta have to deal in the world like that courage encourages the willingness to act even with the possibility of failures of your students getting out of college.

You gotta be willing to try something maybe get a job at Street Lynn turns out that: it becomes obsolete. We can't allow that they well I get there is nothing that I can do. You gotta actually be willing to act in the fail and then to try again. That type of courage actually always been important. Of course, but even more important in the world it highly disruptive in which you can't count on. Four years of college and getting a job at an employer in that employer doing the same thing the next 40 years. That's just a very unlikely scenario for people that are now in the 20 interesting and it takes it takes courage to face that the thing that's one of the things that human being can have the computer or robot can have. Despite what we may see in popular movies, TV or read in novels right J we come back out. I want to explore this further. And if you don't mind, just because there's so much discussion now on where things are going. New Democrat candidates really pushing socialism your mind if we just take a few minutes to talk about socialism and communism somewhere during the century, that would be awesome. All right friends we will be right back with Prof. Jay Richards again.

The new book the human advantage the future of American work in an age of smart machines.

Also, just the very moment I started speaking with Prof. Richards my latest article on the stream went live and appeal to the mainstream media, own up to fake news room.

There is a reason so many Americans are highly highly skeptical of mainstream media today and by the way, I believe this class on the right as well as unless the left needs to own up to his fake news as well. The line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34-TRUTH here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Did you read years ago the Isaac Asimov book. I robot part of his robot series. Yeah. And then of course turned into a famous recent movie robots, artificial intelligence, kind of taking over may be read Dan Brown's latest novel origin and of course you can expect the anti-Christian type bias in it but artificial intelligence takes over there as well. Yet, my guess Prof. Jay Richards argues that the matter what robots do in the whole edit things robust scanning should do that help the human race in and help our planet.

Human beings have a distinct advantage difference between humans and robots is foundational and essential J thanks for joining us today on the broadcast. My partner, Michael.

Good to be with you alright so let's discuss your book the human advantage the future of American work in an age of smart machines in let's start to to unpack some of the virtues that were going to have to emphasize the heart of your book rebuilding a culture of virtue we we can be connected to the whole world right now and yet live increasingly isolated lives, how is that something we need to overcome what all we gotta realize that they interacting with people on Facebook is not the same thing is interacting with somebody across your dinner table. I mean, I'm not really people look at.

Oh God. All this stuff is completely useless. Get relief on your computers. No, I actually think the reason that people like interact on Facebook.

I like to be able to connect with people that went to high school with that I would have no connection with an psyche that is in the general way of interacting. The problem is when people allow that substitute for other much more can a basic and fundamental ways of interacting intranets always the case with any kind of technology you can play well. Talking on the phone print not merely within two minutes talking to someone across the dinner table on the other hand, before telephones existed.

You couldn't talk to people at all, more than you know a mile away work. Now we can talk family on the other side of the world and so I think always it comes to technology, especially network technologies. We need to see that there only elastic to give us new opportunities that we should use those opportunities to substitute for the much more basic way that we still absolutely intermediate interact. Even when we have 3D holographic images of each other look like you know her with each other.

That's never going to be an adequate substitute for the much more bodily in Illinois that will not interact and end with that is as well.

As technology increases and as technology becomes more creative, you would argue that we have to do the same that we can't be so fragile or so Steph got exactly right… Perspective virtue I talk about anti-fragility and capability doesn't just mean that