Maybe your legislative feels bought out, that sucks, but that's not the situation nor the feeling everywhere in the world, certainly not where I live, so also doesn't seem to be related although if I assume where you live, I totally understand why you're currently feeling like that.
Do you expect your government to navigate whatever transition might await us in a manner that works out well for the vast majority of your countrymen? What about the governments of other major world powers? Even if your local government does all the right things, will the world as a whole end up in a good place?
That said, I'm not sure that there's much in the way of actionable options, at least not with clearly defined outcomes.
No, but I expect them to do the best they can, with the information they have available, as always, as they just like me, are just humans. Trusting the legislative branch of my government is different from "so you think it'll work out well for everyone then huh?", btw.
> What about the governments of other major world powers?
Why does it matter how much I trust the legislative branch from other countries? They do as they wish, we continue to do as we wish.
> Even if your local government does all the right things, will the world as a whole end up in a good place?
My experience and opinion is that generally the world is getting better almost every day, vast difference even compared to ten years ago, how much better the world is today, for most people. There are some few countries which lately been going in the wrong direction, but for the most part, we (humanity) are getting incrementally better.
Agreed, and that was exactly my point. Concern about possible impacts of a technology were expressed and you responded that you trust your government. But that's not the same as thinking that everything is headed in a good direction and doesn't require intervention.
> Why does it matter how much I trust the legislative branch from other countries?
Because in a globalized world if everyone else goes to shit you will probably also experience significant negative effects even if it's not as bad.
> for the most part, we (humanity) are getting incrementally better.
It seems to me that it's prudent to perform a risk assessment rather than assuming that everything will work out just because things seem to have been going well enough so far.
I'm also conflicted but take a glass half full approach basing myself on the fact that when I'm feeling like "this time is different" it's probably my ego wanting my lifetime to happen at an interesting time in history, so my brain wants the current events to be the most transformative.
No. Electricity didn't raise the skill floor all that much. Certainly nowhere near the human skill ceiling.
> the internet would kill all street level businesses
That was never going to happen overnight, if at all. But online retail (and food delivery, etc) does seem to be slowly but surely eating away at local shops so I think it's within the realm of possibility.
Online retail eating away at local shops is a problem with two aspects - one of which is largely ignored and much more pernicious.
Yes, many people are shopping online which reduces footfall in the town centres. If this were a case of all the existing businesses simply shifting away from physical storefronts to virtual ones it would merely be unfortunate.
What's far worse is that the vast majority of the business that shifted away from a diverse collection of bricks-and-mortar stores now goes through one of a very few online retail giants.
Likewise, a couple of food delivery apps are parasitising takeaway food businesses.
And now we're allowing a handful of AI giants to tollbooth software development.
Very easy to say that in hindsight.