Review of Manna
Why is a Computing and Technology blog reviewing a science fiction book? I’m reviewing Manna because it raises some fundamental questions for the future. Namely, what kind of society do we want to live in? Should the increasing use of AI take away our livelihoods?
I am lucky to have read the book now, given the hype surrounding large language machine-learning models and Artificial intelligence (AI) such as GPT-chat. Some claim that it will take away many people’s jobs. You can read my initial thoughts on Chat-GPT here.
This blog post was first published on ctnet.co.uk on 13 March 2023. You can read the original post here.
Why I think you should read Manna now?
We may be at the dawn of a new era of machine learning and Artificial Intelligence with the potential breakthrough of chatbots such as GPT-chat, Microsoft’s new Bing and Google Bard.
I’m reading a book on the concept of singularity, a technological breakthrough so epic that it changes our core beliefs about our place in the universe. True human-like Artificial Intelligence could be one such technology to cause such a singularity event.
We need to start asking ourselves some questions now while we still have time and can control the future development of Artificial Intelligence. How do we manage the impact of Artificial Intelligence on our lives?
While Manna doesn’t answer the question, I think the story can help give us an idea of what we should be inspiring to become as a species and the outcomes we should look to avoid.
As I discuss some of the concepts raised in the book, I will likely give away some of the book’s plot, but I will try my best not to. If you don’t want to know what happens, you should just buy a copy of your book.
The possible impact on jobs
Manna is a software system developed to manage staff and increase productivity. It starts by replacing supervisors and mid-level management as it controls the account and schedules the workforce. It gives staff step-by-step instructions on what to do and times their performance, letting those who constantly fail to reach performance targets.
Eventually, lower-grade jobs were replaced by robots and Artificial Intelligence(AI) applications. Any job that could be broken down into steps was at risk, leading to high unemployment for the masses. At the same time, those who owned the businesses grew richer.
It reminded me of Engle’s pause, a 50-year period during the 19th Century in the UK where people’s wages failed to keep up with the growth in the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) due to the factory owners keeping all the profits.
The government realised it would be cheaper to house the unemployed and feed them like a Victorian workhouse.
However, the book introduces another model practised by another society that decides to replace currency with energy credits spread equally across its society. It can be spent any way they see fit with the automated systems manufacturing what is needed when needed. Similar to the concept of having a Universal Basic Income, which has already been trailed in Finland.
This allows people to do what they want, as they no longer need to work for money. It allows the individual to do what they find fulfilling, whether spending time with family or friends, writing blog posts, or working on a pet project, innovating as they go.
What lessons did I learn from Manna?
The lesson I learnt from Manna was that we can decide the type of society we want to live in. We can either live in a society where wealth is distributed to the few who own the Algorithms or share the benefits more equally.
Conclusion
We still have time, and it is possible that, as in previous industrial revolutions, new jobs will be created that only human beings can do. Still, the fact it happened in the past doesn’t mean it will happen in future industrial revolutions. That is why we need to start discussing this now.
