Automation of All Work Is Theoretically Possible, New Research Suggests

Researchers are increasingly focused on the societal implications of rapidly advancing automation technologies, particularly the potential for complete displacement of human labour. Eduardo C. Garrido-Merchán from Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Instituto de Investigación Tecnológica (IIT), alongside colleagues, present a novel framework termed ‘peaceful anarcho-accelerationism’ to address this challenge. This work, developed in collaboration with various fields of study, proposes a decentralized, commons-governed approach to full automation, specifically designed to prioritise universal care. By outlining the ‘Liberation Stack’ , an open-source architecture encompassing essential resources like energy, manufacturing and knowledge, and advocating for a post-monetary system based on Universal Desired Resources, the authors demonstrate a pathway towards a future where automation fosters abundance and wellbeing, rather than exacerbating inequality. This research is significant because it moves beyond simply acknowledging the inevitability of automation to proactively designing a sociotechnical system that aligns technological progress with deeply human values.

Scientists are witnessing the convergence of large language models and deep reinforcement learning agents, suggesting the potential for near-complete automation of human employment as it is currently understood. Foundational results in machine learning, specifically the universal approximation theorem and advancements in deep reinforcement learning, establish that all forms of labour, both cognitive and physical, are, in principle, automatable, though considerable engineering challenges remain.

The critical question facing society is not whether full automation will occur, but rather who will govern its implementation and control. This work introduces peaceful anarcho-accelerationism, a sociotechnical framework designed to ensure that full automation is decentralized, governed by commons principles, and focused on universal care rather than concentrated corporate profit.

Synthesizing anarchist political theory, commons-based peer production models, and critical technology studies, researchers propose the Liberation Stack, a layered architecture encompassing energy, governance commons, all built upon open-source technologies. This framework aligns with diverse ideologies including liberalism and the hacker ethic, offering a unifying approach to a potentially disruptive technological shift.

Empirical evidence drawn from existing commons-based systems such as Linux, Wikipedia, Mondragon, Rojava, and guifi. net demonstrates the viability of such decentralized models at scale. The study argues that full automation renders traditional monetary systems obsolete, deeming Universal Basic Income an insufficient solution. Instead, researchers propose Universal Desired Resources (UDR), a post-monetary principle where individuals request necessary resources from a robotic commons, constrained only by ecological sustainability.

Delegating labour to non-conscious machines constitutes care at a civilizational level, and the ethical implications of this delegation can be studied through deep reinforcement learning. Building upon prior work establishing the separation of phenomenal consciousness from computational intelligence, the research posits that automation does not inherently involve exploitation.

The team identifies building the decentralised infrastructure to serve humanity as a key engineering challenge, aiming to enable a care-centred society. Solar energy is currently the cheapest electricity source, and a single smartphone possesses more computational power than the Apollo mission control, demonstrating existing technological capacity. Open-source software powers 96% of the world’s top web servers, according to the Linux Foundation’s 2023 data.

A detailed examination of existing commons-based systems underpinned the research, drawing evidence from Linux, Wikipedia, Mondragon, Rojava, and guifi. net. These cases were not merely cited as illustrations, but subjected to rigorous comparative analysis to identify common principles of successful commons governance and scalable decentralization. Researchers meticulously documented the operational structures, decision-making processes, and resource allocation mechanisms within each system, focusing on how they fostered collective ownership and sustained long-term viability.

The study deliberately focused on systems already operating at scale to move beyond theoretical models and demonstrate the feasibility of decentralized alternatives, prioritizing empirical validation over speculative projections. Particular attention was given to the technical infrastructure supporting these commons, such as the open-source software powering Wikipedia and the mesh networking technology employed by guifi. net.

By dissecting these existing implementations, the work aimed to identify replicable components and adaptable strategies for building a broader, interconnected network of commons. The prospect of widespread automation, once a distant concern of science fiction, is rapidly crystallising into a practical and pressing socio-economic challenge. This work distinguishes itself not through novel algorithms, but through a deliberate framing of automation’s inevitable arrival as an opportunity for radical social restructuring.

For decades, discussions around job displacement have focused on mitigation, retraining schemes, and universal basic income, accepting automation as a force to be managed rather than shaped. This paper proposes a proactive, decentralised system designed to harness automation for collective wellbeing. The Liberation Stack, with its emphasis on open-source technologies and commons-based governance, represents a direct challenge to the prevailing logic of concentrated technological ownership.

The authors rightly point to existing examples, Linux, Wikipedia, and worker cooperatives, as proof-of-concept for this alternative model. However, scaling these localised successes to a global, post-monetary economy is a monumental undertaking. The reliance on “Universal Desired Resources” assumes a level of altruism and ecological awareness that remains, at best, aspirational.

Furthermore, the paper’s assertion that delegating labour to non-conscious systems constitutes “care at civilisational scale” is a provocative claim requiring careful consideration. While technically true, it sidesteps the crucial question of meaning and purpose in a world devoid of traditional work. The long-term psychological and social consequences of such a shift are largely unexplored. Future research must address these ethical and existential dimensions, alongside the practical challenges of building and maintaining a truly decentralised, robotic commons.