Dossier No. 37, June 26, 2025; this “dossier” is a collection of short articles by the New Anticapitalist Party-Revolutionaries (NPA-R) in France (translated from French)
Some capitalists dream of replacing humans with AI: no more demands, no more strikes!
Mechanization is as old as capitalism itself, that is, the investment of capital in production proper. And competition is at the root of the race for mechanization: if a machine takes less time to produce than the labor it saves, it is profitable for the person who introduced it. They can set their prices just below those of their competitors while remaining above the price that the new machine would allow. At least until their competitors do the same, or better, because then new technologies and competition will lead to a further decline in the exchange value of objects: less human labor means less value. Since capitalist profit comes not from machines but from the value of unpaid human labor, the “complete” mechanization of all production would reduce profit to zero, thereby eliminating the basis for commercial exchange, which is not compatible with capitalism.
In India and Bangladesh, it is not only “mechanical Turks” that feed AI learning: there are also workers who dye fabrics by treading on them barefoot in highly toxic baths. A society free of capitalism will design intelligent machines to eliminate strenuous and dangerous tasks because these machines will be designed to free humanity from work, not enslave it; production and consumption will be planned according to needs, and so much the better if we are increasingly replaced by AI. This will leave time to devote to what is essential: enriching collective knowledge, enjoying the beauties of life, making the planet a place where it is good to live, with respect for humans and all species.
J.-J. F.
