PRODUCTIVITY ends with…?

“ The challenge extends beyond this term and into the next, Jim Chalmers recently cautioned, and certainly is hard to do justice in a 24-hour news cycle.

Characteristically, Andrew Leigh is optimistic that Labor’s reforms will begin to bear fruit by the time the next election rolls around in 2028.

“I would hope to see some of the green shoots of productivity” by then, he says. “But we know productivity is quite a considerably lagging measure.

“I think artificial intelligence has huge potential to be better used. There are lots of jobs in which you can see AI making people more efficient.” 

Via Patrick Commins @GUARDIAN AUSTRALIA 

Any standard of living increases include productivity gains. But at what HUMAN cost? 

work smarter not harder? 

Work smarter not longer hours? 

Learn new skills and elevate via LEARNING NEW contemporary knowledge? (Smarter) 

Or keep trying to get ahead by working more with longer hours? (Harder) 

So to release more HUMAN learning (productivity via knowledge)  that does not involve simply working  physically “harder” or “longer” or “stressful & unhealthy” hours, where can these HUMAN better standard of living gains be found? 

A global shift towards a “smarter learning world” is where better standards of living will be created. And those HUMANS who embrace learning to WORK and be smarter (focused, creative, discerning, self disciplined) will become more efficient more knowledgable learners. This is now upon each and everyone at a HUMAN granular level, those HUMANS who raise their own learning levels, to raise their own HUMAN satisfaction and to be remunerated fairly for their unique HUMAN learning value that they DO bring to “work”. The future is already here, just unevenly distributed as HUMAN CREATIVE LEARNERS level up by embracing their own unrealised potential. There are no limits FOR those human learners who bring unique skills and unique creative solutions to either their own “business” or provide a high level skill that is in demand. And the productive HUMAN smarter way forward has always been to identify creative opportunities and focus on learning The New, not remaining in mind sets of “that’s the way we’ve always done it”. Productivity increases are a double edged sword. Humans can only increasingly work so “hard” before a negative cost/benefit is reached and paid. That hard cost of increased productivity may be less family time, less leisure, less well being. Which then leads to increased stress or burn out or poorer health and lifestyle. 

Does a technology or machine already assist you? 

Do you use machines or technology at work already? 

Like fork lifts? Or trucks? Or cars? 

Or computers? 

Or “technologies” like specialised trade hand tools or surgical instruments or commercial machine appliances? Like cleaning machines or ovens or scissors? 

Or “technologies” like fuel or electricity or energy? 

Once humans realise assistive technologies simply disappear and become “just what we do”, no fanfare. No fear, no oh this assistive technology of a hammer/pc/pen/oven/petrol/scanner  is fear full and scary and I don’t know how to operate it… once humans learn how to harness and apply assistive technology in any form, then it simply becomes part of what HUMANS DO to create value or UNIQUE skills or knowledge. “Machine learning”  “large language models” “applications” “distributed ledger technology” 

“Operating system” are simply jargon buzz words of smarter ways of USING machines to assist in a digital world. Learning about ubiquitous assistive technology like the wheel or fire or flight or computers is simply a reflection of human learning ability. Specialist HUMAN applications may need to master a skill safely  to then assist other humans. Retail assistant? Surgeon? Pilot? Fire fighter? Code Programmer? All technology experts who learn how to apply their learning to assist other humans. At many levels. 

So learning is productive. Not just for money. 

So learning is creative. Not just for work. 

So learning is fun. Not just for pay the bills. 

Humans who embrace learning smarter not harder in a light hearted fail forward play full way will easily adapt and lead. Those HUMANS who choose to play and learn, simply become more connected to their own intrinsic consciousness. This has never changed. It is not new. It is a fundamental common core of who humans are at a simple granular Level. Learners. We all “learned” to walk. Why? How? When? Who? 

Did you go to walking school? To be taught? 

Or attend learn how to walk better or faster classes as a crawler? 

Or did parents force you to learn and hot house you to walk because every other kid had gone vertically independent and was now hot footed and mobile? 

Whatever route you took to walking, you did it your way. 

Machine learning  and applied assistive technology for HUMANS is no different. 

Learn to use the wheel? 

Steering, changing, driving, inflating? 

Learn to use fire safely? 

Strike of a match, anywhere, anytime. 

Learn to use electricity? 

Flick of a switch. Taken for granted. 

Learn to use fuel? 

Self serve petrol pumps. No idea HOW the engine works. 

Learn to use applications. 

Make life easier, more social, more creative fun, 

Learn to use machine learning  (aka AI) 

Nothing artificial about the human training it… 

So can you train your pet? Your puppy? 

Can you train your own assistive AI? 

Or will you allow a secretive business or government or institution to control your ai? 

Like many news CORPORATIONS already do. Train you behind their paywalls, their bosses, their biases, their free apps where you are the data being milked and their terms of service you agree to but Never actually read. Any of these human decisions YOU choose are giving away your power your data your life to a third party who can then do whatever they choose to create their machine learning. As long as you are aware and content to keep selling yourself out, your data out, carry on. Large corporations like Meta and Amazon and musk have got your best interests data at heart, don’t they? 

And then the machine you are building by donating you data freely comes back to tell you who you are? 

Work harder harder harder the government machine screams, just another brick in the wall. This artificial intelligence isn’t new, it’s just become pervasively digitised and anytime you use a digital device you donate more to the machine you are building. So simply realise this and carry on with awareness. Or call artificial out to transparency and truth in what the machine is “learning” about you, 

on chain, immutable, transparently ethical, time stamped, immediate transactions. Carbon neutral or negative fast smarter settlement of any data request, private, permission less, you own, you retain, you remain in control of your own identity and data, not freely given away for access to their application for their artifice. And obscene rapacious profits. 

So to return to “productivity” who is co smarter? 

You or those who think they know you? 

You already know your way around learning and can already create or build or make anything you choose. 

Using human assistive technology that is appropriate for you. Just don’t whinge if you get burnt by ignorance, or run over by a stray wheel or a lack of match knowledge, or a lack of contemporary learning. 

Machines help, technology assists, they will never run the show for humans who learn and remain safely in front of the wave, riding it, not swamped or dumped or drowned, 

There is nothing to fear about what's already here. 

Pay attention, be astonished, learn for life and play light heartedly. 

This next assistive human tech wave of DLT ai is here to stay. 

Simply Come on up and learn. 

Smarter not harder. 

Human not machine, 

Now not then.