[kictanet] Why Bill Gates would tax robots

Tue Feb 28 15:49:51 EAT 2017

We also need to consider the fact that humans need to upscale their competencies to enable us to live in this Information and data driven world. Going forward we will see more and more skilled workers stepping up to do more important work higher the value chain.

In the scheme of things we tend to forget this important aspect. AI, MI etc are human instigated and human will remain at the top of the food chain. 

Ali Hussein
Hussein & Associates
+254 0713 601113 / 0770906375

Twitter: @AliHKassim
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"Discovery consists in seeing what everyone else has seen and thinking what no one else has thought".  ~ Albert Szent-Györgyi

Sent from my iPad

> On 28 Feb 2017, at 3:06 PM, Mwendwa Kivuva via kictanet <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
> 
> Your point is very good Mark Elkins.
> 
> I think Bill Gates is trying to simulate such a debate ... on what is
> the role of humans in an automated, mechanized, and robotized society.
> Traditionally, human labour has been considered as a factor of
> production. If we declare millions of human labour redundant, and
> there are no security measure build around it, where will humans go?
> How will they earn their food, education, healthcare, and shelter?
> Taxation is such a measure that build social security net around
> humanity. So that the robots can produce, and the enterprises pay
> government for upkeep of it's people, instead of hoarding the end
> products of robots in vaults, and other forms of securities.
> ______________________
> Mwendwa Kivuva, Nairobi, Kenya
> twitter.com/lordmwesh
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 28 February 2017 at 15:46, Mark Elkins via kictanet
> <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>> I do agree though that if automation removed the jobs of existing people,
>> they should be somehow compensated - either moved to a new job internally or
>> re-trained or something positive. Usually with automation, the company can
>> be expanded (make more profit) - which should mean more human staff.  That
>> would be the ethical thing to do. I don't see this as a tax though.
>> 
>> 
>> On 28/02/2017 13:33, Mark Elkins via kictanet wrote:
>> 
>> This is probably the best reply so far!
>> 
>> Personally, a robot is a tool. This could be my coffee maker making a cup of
>> freshly ground coffee rather than a human taking the beans, grounding them
>> with stones, adding them to boiling water - etc... all by hand. Agh.
>> 
>> 
>> On 28/02/2017 11:19, awatila--- via kictanet wrote:
>> 
>> I think in the discussion the original purpose of taxation is forgotten.
>> 
>> A human being pays tax to the government to cover the cost of the common
>> services provided by the government.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> What are this services that the robot will be consuming from the government
>> that they need to pay for?
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Regards,
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Alex
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Sent from Mail for Windows 10
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> From: Mark Kipyegon via kictanet
>> Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2017 12:06 PM
>> To: awatila at yahoo.co.uk
>> Cc: Mark Kipyegon
>> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Why Bill Gates would tax robots
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> During the Industrial Revolution, critics of mechanisation would use similar
>> arguments. Advances in technology should be embraced.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On 28 Feb 2017, at 10:25, "kictanet-request at lists.kictanet.or.ke"
>> <kictanet-request at lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> 
>> 
>>> Message: 3
>> 
>>> Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2017 10:21:47 +0300
>> 
>>> From: Job Muriuki <muriukin at gmail.com>
>> 
>>> To: Barrack Otieno <otieno.barrack at gmail.com>
>> 
>>> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
>> 
>>> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Why Bill Gates would tax robots
>> 
>>> Message-ID:
>> 
>>>   <CAJ+RKRbKRsadcYewDv-zEiAN0dpVKryxHye64aUc0FSB5toOkA at mail.gmail.com>
>> 
>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>> 
>>> 
>> 
>>> Barrack,
>> 
>>> 
>> 
>>> Am in business and I know it's the bottom line that counts at the expense
>> 
>>> of people.
>> 
>>> Now we further what to fire the already strained employee replace them
>>> with
>> 
>>> a robot
>> 
>>> for a fatter bank account and cash you don't need.
>> 
>>> I believe Bill Gates been the billionaire he is has realised you can have
>> 
>>> all the cash
>> 
>>> and wealth you can get but it all without meaning what really matters is
>> 
>>> the humanity.
>> 
>>> 
>> 
>>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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>> --
>> Mark James ELKINS  -  Posix Systems - (South) Africa
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