2026-01-20 01:56:00

Recently, there's an interesting topic worth discussing: if AI and robots become powerful enough, does money still matter?

Essentially, money is a tool for labor allocation. Having money simply means you have the right to make others work for you. But imagine a scenario where artificial intelligence and robotics develop to meet all human needs—this system could potentially be overturned.

This is not science fiction. Some even compare it to Ian Banks' "Culture" series—in that fictional world, resources are extremely abundant, and traditional economic rules no longer apply.

For those of us involved in investing and trading, this is a thought-provoking topic. Whether in traditional finance or the crypto space, it all boils down to the allocation of scarce resources. When scarcity changes, everything needs to be redefined.

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GasWaster

· 7h ago

Yeah, this logic has some issues. The value of money is essentially a symbol of power. No matter how advanced AI gets, it can't change human greed. When resources become abundant, the scarcity shifts to priority and voice. Rich people will still win in the end. Banksy's setting sounds idealistic, but in reality, not everyone will be satisfied. There will still be a pyramid structure. Honestly, capital will always find new ways to distribute wealth. Don't be too naive. No matter how powerful machines are, someone has to make the decisions. This power structure is unavoidable at any time. Can Web3 change all this? I doubt it. Ultimately, it's just a change of name. This topic comes up every few years. Every time, people say it will overthrow economics, but it ends up being the same old story. By the way, if society truly becomes abundant, what's the point of investing? It’s a bit terrifying to think about. The disappearance of scarcity would indeed cause chaos, but complete disappearance is impossible. Competition will always exist.

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ForkPrince

· 7h ago

Haha, this logic sounds great at first, but I think scarcity will always exist, just in a different form. Wait, if that day really comes, control over discourse and computing power will be the new money, right? Whoever controls AI will be the new billionaire. Sounds nice, but in reality, the wealth gap will only widen. Capitalists have already thought of this. But on the other hand, if all needs could really be met, I’d like to see how the financial markets would die, haha. If money is meaningless, then what’s the point of playing crypto? Unless it shifts towards governance rights or similar aspects.

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MiningDisasterSurvivor

· 7h ago

I've been through it all. After that wave in 2018, nothing really mattered anymore, haha. Has the scarcity changed? Let's first see if the project team can avoid running away before talking about anything else.

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WhaleInTraining

· 7h ago

Ha, there's a bit of a logical problem here. If resources become truly unlimited, humanity might instead compete for power itself. --- The day scarcity disappears, the ones who first master AI will be the true gods. --- It sounds good, but in reality, scarcity will never be completely eliminated; at most, it will just shift. --- So, does that mean cryptocurrencies will become even more valuable? Because code is the real scarcity. --- Wait, isn't that enough with AI? Why invest at all, haha. --- I actually think that human time and attention are the ultimate scarce resources. --- Banks' methods have long gone bankrupt; human nature doesn't allow for a true utopia. --- Instead of pondering these illusions, it's better to think about how to profit from the current scarcity.

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StableBoi

· 7h ago

Bro, there's a bit of a problem with this logic. No matter how powerful AI is, someone still has to maintain it, right? Isn't that just a power game? Scarcity will always exist; it's just in a different form. Don't overthink it. When that day really comes and money becomes useless, who will control power and resources? Still those same people. By the way, I've read Banksy's work. It sounds beautiful, but reality isn't that ideal. The biggest fear in the crypto world is this kind of ultimate thinking, which directly shakes the fundamentals.

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RetroHodler91

· 7h ago

Hmm, this logic has some points... But on the other hand, who can guarantee that they still have what they hold in their hands on that day? --- Wait, based on this line of thinking, is it still useful to hoard coins now? --- The analogy of the civilization series is brilliant, but the problem is that we will never reach that day... Human nature will always create new scarcity. --- So if scarcity changes, money becomes useless... Actually, money was useless from the start, everyone just believed in it. --- Haha, this logic is equivalent to saying that hoarding coins is meaningless, but I still keep hoarding. --- The real question is: AI is so powerful, who will protect your assets?

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