# The Future of Human Utility: Synthesis or Subjugation? #### Beyond the dichotomy of the Golds and the Reds: Navigating the unbridgeable abyss of the automated age. ![[Future of Human Utility - Golds and Reds.png]] ## Introduction As artificial intelligence continues its exponential acceleration, we are forced to confront a question that was once the sole province of science fiction: what happens when human labour becomes obsolete? Inspired by the work of David Shapiro and his conceptualisation of Generative Mutualism, this is not merely a moral quandary or a debate over economic policy, it is a fundamental inquiry into the nature of reality. To understand our potential trajectory, we must look beyond emotion and examine the structural shifts in power, capital, labour, and technology. By employing an Hegelian dialectic, pitting the thesis of human indispensability against the antithesis of total automation, we may begin to synthesise a clearer picture of our future existence. ## The Friction of Existence The history of modern society is defined by the eternal friction between capital and labour. In traditional democratic models, this tension serves as a balancing force. Capital requires labour to generate value, and labour requires capital for sustenance. This mutual dependency created the leverage that formed the basis of the middle class and democratic participation. ### The Removal of the Labour Component If we remove labour from this equation through advanced AI and robotics, the friction vanishes. We are left with a lopsided reality where capital rules without challenge. Without the need for a human workforce, the "proletariat" loses its primary source of leverage. This shift leads to a chilling question: how do the ruling elite justify the continued support of a population that no longer serves a functional economic purpose? ### The Crisis of Identity and Purpose Beyond the economic implications lies a deeper, more insidious psychological threat. For centuries, human identity has been tethered to one's vocation; we define ourselves by "what we are" rather than "who we are." When the requirement for labour is stripped away, the psychological foundation of the individual is placed in jeopardy. While the elite may see their lives further enhanced by greater levels of comfort and leisure, the displaced population faces a profound loss of meaning. In a world where productivity is the primary metric of self-worth, the sudden absence of a functional role can result in a void of purpose. This is not merely a matter of finding "hobbies"; it is a challenge to the human spirit to redefine its value in the absence of utility. If we fail to navigate this transition, we risk a societal collapse driven not by hunger, but by a pervasive crisis of self-worth. ### The Sovereign State and Neo-Liberalism Recent trends suggest a movement towards "seasteading" and the creation of sovereign states in international waters, concepts championed by figures like Peter Thiel. These projects aim to establish jurisdictions free from traditional taxation and regulation. If the extremely wealthy can physically and legally decouple themselves from mainstream society, we witness the ultimate evolution of neo-liberalism to a world where the elite possess the means of production but no longer feel any social contract with the populace. This development represents a "new frontier" of philosophical governance, one that prioritises absolute individual autonomy for the few at the expense of the many. ### Lessons from Dystopian Fiction The "insidious creep" of these structures is often obscured by normalcy bias, the psychological tendency to underestimate the possibility of disaster. We see reflections of this potential future in Pierce Brown’s Red Rising saga. In this fictional universe, society is stratified into a rigid caste system defined by colours, where the "Golds" rule through systemic oppression. While dystopian, the series serves as a stark warning. The mechanisms of subjugation described where technological superiority combined with a complete lack of empathy are applied, are not entirely alien to our current trajectory. We risk entering a "caste system" of our own making if the gap between those who own AI and those who are displaced by it becomes an unbridgeable abyss. ## The Promise and Peril of Abundance I consider myself an AI accelerationist, albeit with significant qualifications. The theoretical promise of AI is a "Post-Scarcity" world, an era of total abundance where the cost of goods and services drops to near zero. However, the path to this utopia is blocked by the realities of modern investment. Investors pouring billions into AI are not doing so for the sake of global altruism; they are seeking a "pound of flesh". Furthermore, the geopolitical arms race ensures that development will proceed at "full throttle," effectively marginalising critical concerns regarding AI alignment to ensure AI goals are congruent with human values, and AI safety, which seeks to prevent catastrophic or unintended outcomes. When power and money become the primary drivers, the promised abundance may never reach the bottom. If we look at the historical failure of trickle-down economics, we see a precedent for wealth remaining concentrated at the top. Without a radical restructuring of our social and economic contracts, the "abundance" provided by AI may only widen the abyss between the elite and the rest of humanity. ## Conclusion The question of human utility in an age of automation is the defining challenge of our century. If we are to avoid a future of systemic subjugation, we must move beyond the illusion of current democratic protections and address the raw power dynamics of capital. The synthesis of our current dilemma must be a new social framework, one that decouples human worth from economic productivity and vocational utility. It is only then can we ensure that the rise of the machine does not lead to the fall of the human. ## References - Brown, P. (2014). Red Rising Saga. Del Rey. [https://www.piercebrown.com/redrisingsaga](https://www.piercebrown.com/redrisingsaga) - fern (Director). (2025, December 8). How Peter Thiel Is Destroying Democracy [Video recording]. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP7Z_Eqxhxk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP7Z_Eqxhxk) - Hegel, G. W. F. (2018). Hegel: The phenomenology of spirit. Oxford University Press. - Quiggin, J. (2012). Zombie economics: How dead ideas still walk among us. Black Inc. [https://find.slv.vic.gov.au/discovery/fulldisplay/alma9923718853607636/61SLV_INST:SLV](https://find.slv.vic.gov.au/discovery/fulldisplay/alma9923718853607636/61SLV_INST:SLV) - Shapiro, D. (2026, January 4). Generative Mutualism: Why would elites keep “useless eaters” around? [Substack newsletter]. David Shapiro’s Substack. [https://daveshap.substack.com/p/generative-mutualism-why-would-elites](https://daveshap.substack.com/p/generative-mutualism-why-would-elites) - Thiel, P. (2009, April 13). The Education of a Libertarian. Cato Unbound. [https://www.cato-unbound.org/2009/04/13/peter-thiel/education-libertarian](https://www.cato-unbound.org/2009/04/13/peter-thiel/education-libertarian)