World's Finest for Only $5.8K a License

[DryaUnda]

According to Transhuman Space p.142, it's theoretically possible to purchase an AI with IQ+11 in a skill. For only $5,800, I can get myself a jumped-up NAI-6 in whatever skill I'd rather not hire somebody else to do. With such ideal cheap labor, how are any jobs apart from "botboss" possible?

[sn0wball]

Originally Posted by DryaUnda

According to Transhuman Space p.142, it's theoretically possible to purchase an AI with IQ+11 in a skill. For only $5,800, I can get myself a jumped-up NAI-6 in whatever skill I'd rather not hire somebody else to do. With such ideal cheap labor, how are any jobs apart from "botboss" possible?

It looks like your calculation is correct.

There doesn´t seem to be a rule that the complexity of an AI program rises with extreme levels of characters points, although that would be sensible with an example extreme as yours.

My next thought was that such an AI couldn´t exist (yet) in the THS universe. NAIs use the rules for learning like humans. At 200 points per character point it would take 417 days of continuos learning, which is possible for an AI to reach that level. Quite within the reasonable range.

Perhaps the rules for the complexity of skill sets on p. 145 could be applied to very experienced AIs.

[DryaUnda]

Thanks, sn0ball, for posting. Still, I'd think that a thread about human obsolescence would get more buzz.

Maybe I need to put it in more gamist terms: rich characters can buy super-skills.

[sn0wball]

Originally Posted by DryaUnda

Thanks, sn0ball, for posting. Still, I'd think that a thread about human obsolescence would get more buzz.

Maybe I need to put it in more gamist terms: rich characters can buy super-skills.

This probably isn´t a problem : if it bothers you, you can let them pay character points accordingly for an highly competent ally.

[DryaUnda]

Originally Posted by sn0wball

This probably isn´t a problem : if it bothers you, you can let them pay character points accordingly for an highly competent ally.

Huh? No, that doesn't bother me, I'm a simulationist. I'm just fishing for opinions.

[Phil Masters]

Originally Posted by DryaUnda

According to Transhuman Space p.142, it's theoretically possible to purchase an AI with IQ+11 in a skill. For only $5,800, I can get myself a jumped-up NAI-6 in whatever skill I'd rather not hire somebody else to do. With such ideal cheap labor, how are any jobs apart from "botboss" possible?

1. "Ideal"? A NAI has most of the initiative and creativity of a stunned rabbit. If you need those sorts of things, you need sapience. Sapience costs more, whether it's implemented in an AI or in wetware. Humans are still competitive there.

Which isn't to say that a lot of jobs aren't handled by machines in 2100 that we'd give to people. Similarly, we use machines to remove dust from carpets, dig holes in the ground, turn spits, and add up long columns of numbers. Once upon a time, all those were jobs for people, too. You may see a pattern here.

Which is why...

2. Many jobs-for-people in 2100 doubtless consist primarily of issuing instructions to machines. A lot of Fifth Wave workers would seem to us to be botbosses. It's just that only the ones who control a large number of large and impressive machines have that as their job title.

In other words...

3. Welcome to the future.

[DryaUnda]

Originally Posted by Phil Masters

1. "Ideal"? A NAI has most of the initiative and creativity of a stunned rabbit. If you need those sorts of things, you need sapience.

I'm pretty sure that lack of creativity is already covered by the Hidebound disadvantage. Initiave should be covered by giving broad "do this"-type orders.

Since NAIs don't have Cannot Learn, they can be brought up to savant-level ability relatively fast -- 2.19 years if the NAI does nothing but take lesions and follow orders to learn on its own.

[Fnordianslip]

I think trained NAIs and LAIs with skills like that are a very big reason why THS is the way it is. Countries have been forced in many cases to adopt more socialist models of economics thanks to an overabundance of cheap labor for unskilled jobs. Those unskilled jobs have been grabbed up by these kinds of AIs. Mind you, the extra capital (human and otherwise) freed up by this economic shift is why the THS starting wealth is so much higher as well. So, to actually answer your question, job's are either botboss jobs, creative jobs, or human service jobs where there's still call for actual human interaction. Now, if you live in a 3rd or 4th wave country, there's still the same crap jobs available. Also, keep in mind that many countries make it mandatory that certain amounts of crap jobs still exist. Otherwise you end up with a serious problem with unemployment and unrest.

[Phil Masters]

Originally Posted by DryaUnda

I'm pretty sure that lack of creativity is already covered by the Hidebound disadvantage.

Exactly. You buy a NAI to do the job, you get a Hidebound worker.

Initiave should be covered by giving broad "do this"-type orders.

Which don't miraculously make an uncreative AI creative. It'll go off and attempt the task within its parameters, but if the task turns out to need creativity, it'll either keep pestering you for extra orders, or make a pig's ear of the job. And a LAI may not be much better.

So many job skills are actually going to consist primarily of knowing how to tell a dull-witted AI how to do what gets done. Like I said, welcome to the future.

[Lord Curlyton]

Originally Posted by Phil Masters

...So many job skills are actually going to consist primarily of knowing how to tell a dull-witted AI how to do what gets done. Like I said, welcome to the future.

As opposed to telling the dull-witted sapient how to do what gets done? Really, if that's all I'm getting as a future botboss (read, assistant manager), then I'll stick with my organic types, tyvm. At least when I call him/her a flaming asstard (pardon my language) he/she will know just what I'm saying and will *hopefully* not try to figure out just what a "flaming asstard" really is (which brings to mind fire...and no store wants THAT on their premises).