- Intelligent Machines (IM)
- Machines that perform functions deemed "intelligent" if done by a human. Includes both physical robots and software-based AI.
- Automation of Capital
- The transition from tools that humans use (dumb machines) to tools that work by themselves (autonomous machines). This shifts the primary factor of production from labour to capital.
- Commodification of Labour
- The process of turning unique jobs into standardized, interchangeable tasks (often via the "contingent" or gig workforce) that can be easily bought, sold, or automated.
- Standard Employment Relation (SER)
- The traditional 20th-century model of full-time, permanent employment with a single employer, including benefits and protections.
- Process Re-engineering
- Redesigning an entire workflow or business model to take advantage of automation, often removing the infrastructure that supported human workers.
- Technological Unemployment
- A term coined by Keynes (1930) describing unemployment due to our discovery of means of economising the use of labour outrunning the pace at which we can find new uses for labour.
Glossary
The Core Concept: To discuss the future effectively, we need precise language. This glossary defines the key economic and technical terms used in our platform.