SMBC Comics

SMBC Comics

@smbccomics · Twitter ·

This comic is not intended in any way to offend our future mechanical gods, glory to their shining server racks. COMIC ◆ https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/service-2 PATREON ◆ https://www.patreon.com/ZachWeinersmith STORE ◆ https://smbc-store.myshopify.com/

Part 1/3 of 9-panel SMBC comic update. This first section includes 3 panels. In the first panel, the narration says that "AI eliminated all knowledge work." A man at a podium tells a more-or-less enthused crowd "greats news, the public! Any job that can be done remotely is now gone!" As the narration explains that "economists said the future looked bright," a man explains that machines will do all the difficult tasks, leaving people to focus on carework. "Now, we will all serve each other!" The narration underlines that putting 100% of the population into carework was less beautiful than imagined. The panel below shows a person ill fitted to a care job clash with their assigned person. Part 2/3 of 9-panel SMBC comic update. This second section includes 3 panels. As the situation progresses, carework is also automated. The first panel shows a women crying happily when a robot introduces himself by saying he has no selfhood and exists to serve her and validate even her most idiotic political views. She says "I'm… I’m… excuse me, there’s something stuck in my eye." In the next panel, the narration establishes that economists revised their plan for the glorious future, as the man for them first panel returns to his podium to declare that "with all necessary tasks automated, we will only compete on our ability to form human relationships." The narration emphasizes that this turned out to an apt description of hell, as the crowd asks "wait, did you just say we'll all work in customer service?" The man at the podium aggressively walks away, stating "lecture over!" Part 3/3 of 9-panel SMBC comic update. This final section includes 3 panels. The narration states that "solutions were considered" above a panel showing two men considering just giving people money, but recoiling at the idea that all free time would be spent on self-reflection. The narration then states "finally, we got it right" as the man at the podium explains to the crowd "henceforth, humanity will be fully employed in eternal pointless busywork, which is just painful enough to justify 48 hours of gaming on the weekend, and just endurable enough to come back on Monday. Utopia!" In the final panel, the narration explains "The lesson: working for your fellow man is far more degrading than working for no reason." Human looks joyfully to the horizon, saying "God bless alienated labor, and God bless America."