I imagine the same argument was made about the industrial revolution.

There is still a lot to work for once we remove the more mundane parts of our existence.

>the same argument was made about the industrial revolution.

A bit of a specious comparison which assumes that the degree and quality of the technology are irrelevant.

There was no Deep Mind during the Industrial Revolution.

Edit: there was no Deep Blue, that is.

Then we distribute the free time to the whole population, accounting for the vast majority who never had the means to accumulate wealth

or

I don't know

> then what?

Whatever we want.

Right. And, this is generally taken to mean that we--now freed of life's pesky minutiae (such as work), which is handled via automation--will all frolic in meadows, wearing fig leaves and pursuing our inner potential. We will subsist off of a basic income and life will simply be as intended, without the need for labor or physical movement for that matter.

And, I wonder what it is in human nature or recent history that makes so many believe that this will be even remotely close to how things actually unfold. That property rights will somehow cease to exist or that those who control the various automata won't simply accrete more economic power unto themselves, relying on ever fewer humans with whom to share that power. Yet, somehow, they will share the spoils such that the masses of unnecessary humans may live comfortably without expending the slightest effort.

It need not be a full-on sci-fi style dystopic future to be problematic. We are already seeing degrees of the problem. On our relentless quest to automate humans into obsolescence, seems that we should occasionally pause to consider the consequences in the context of what we know to be true of human nature and history.

Peace and prosperity, I hope.

I think "hope" is the keyword there and, unfortunately, I don't think there's evidence to warrant much of it. See my reply to your sibling.