If $20/month AI agents take 80% of computer jobs, what's the new social equilibrium?
Both-Move-8418 · reddit · 2026-10-13
A Reddit post explores the classic question: if in 10 years everyone has unlimited-capability AI agents for £20/month, 80% of computer-based jobs are automated, unemployment soars, and almost no new jobs appear — how does society reach a new equilibrium?
The scenario: massive welfare bills, collapse of non-essential demand, many companies folding.
Possible paths discussed:
- Governments introducing an "AI tax" or disincentivizing AI use in work
- A wave of tiny fast-moving companies replacing big business (design a car, submit to a robo-factory)
- Anti-AI backlash: "human-first" branding, consumer rejection of AI-first companies, mass protests
The author worries the current trajectory is a race to the bottom for short-term gain, but an equal and opposite shift may emerge.
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