Impacts of impending extreme longevity (possibly immortality) of humans on the economy #1

As part of my readings on robotics, I’ve become persuaded that regardless of whether machines can become genuinely human-like (that would depend largely on progress in AI, since hardware will definitely permit such capacity), man will placed break through the atomic levels of biology. “Aging isn’t the irreversible affliction that we thought it was” [Source]

Extreme longevity is 100 per cent certain in the near future, even if immortality is still in question. We can’t rule out immortality, though. Its probability is greater than zero. So we should at least start thinking aloud about it.

In the extreme case, immortality will collide with infinite abundance – leading to rather strange outcomes. Some videos first:

And here’s a report on Kurzweil’s recent talk. And this: Ray Kurzweil’s Case for Immortality​.

“I’m right on the cusp,” he adds. ”I think some of us will make it through” – he means baby boomers, who can hope to experience practical immortality if they hang on for another 15 years.

And a TEDx Vienna talk: http://www.tedxvienna.at/blog/goal-immortality/. And here’s China Daily spreading this idea across China.

All signs are now VERY STRONG that disease will come fully under human control. For instance: human-engineered bacteria are now able to hunts down pathogens. 

Economists need to start thinking about this issue. 

PENSIONS

A basic question would be, for instance, about old-age pension schemes.I’m fundamentally opposed to all pension schemes. Instead, I believe a social minimum is the way to go. Regardless of the cause, if you have fallen below a poverty level, the government should top up (not double count) till you are able to (frugally) survive. Why should anyone be responsible for paying you a pension?

All over the West, old-age pension schemes are now in place. As longevity increases dramatically, these schemes will come under massive pressure, and will ultimately need to be abolished – as they should.

READING MATERIAL

I’m going to start reading/reviewing the literature on this issue, time permitting. If you’ve got any peer reviewed references, please let me know. 

A quick search across the internet led to the following links:

A facebook group where people share data on longevity studies.

The Economics of Immortality: Conference hosted by the European Commission, Bruxelles, 8 October 2009

Economics of immortality? 

Economics of longevity.

The Economics of Immortality  (contains a video talk)

How do Changes in Human Longevity Impact on our Demography?

Would Immortality Become An Overpopulation Nightmare?

Immortality and Society

The Social Burden of Longer Lives

Some Practical Problems of Immortality

Immortality within 30 Years

Immortality is a bad idea (Joichi Ito)

The ethics of ageing, immortality and genetics by Daniela Cutas

YOUTUBE VIDEOS: