Whenever I see this expressed, I envision the picture Gene Roddenberry painted of a possible future society.

Go easy on the harsh ...Milton

Gene was an idiot (However much I like Star Trek).

Why would anyone serve? On Star Trek there are a lot of people that do menial jobs. Why?

I'm guessing because they need money...

Because they go to space, man!

I mean, there are people with billions that still go to the office everyday to do some bullshit job pushing numbers. Why do they do it? They couldn't even spend all their money if they wanted to. Why does Buffet do it? Why don't they just cash in and go lie on the beach all day?

This OP is obviously a 'Basic Income' advocate. They just want free money to do whatever they like, and have robots do the work.

Grow up.

So let's say, for argument's sake, that in 50 years it is actually possible to have robotic "slaves" that produce many goods and services, in such a capacity that it allows us to cover the basic needs of every person in Earth, regardless of whether they work or not. Some people might actually choose to do some work for personal gratification, or to gain access to extra luxuries, or both.

You're saying you would actually outlaw this, so that everyone *has* to work for their food, even if it's no longer necessary?

This OP is obviously a 'Basic Income' advocate. They just want free money to do whatever they like, and have robots do the work.

Grow up.

So let's say, for argument's sake, that in 50 years it is actually possible to have robotic "slaves" that produce many goods and services, in such a capacity that it allows us to cover the basic needs of every person in Earth, regardless of whether they work or not. Some people might actually choose to do some work for personal gratification, or to gain access to extra luxuries, or both.

You're saying you would actually outlaw this, so that everyone *has* to work for their food, regardless if it's no longer necessary?

Of course not. *When* robots can take care of us, money is irrelevant.

Until then. Capitalism rules.

I believe the OP was saying just that, that such a future is actually feasible in a few decades, provided technology advances in reasonable pace, and is something capitalism can't handle, in which case it would either be substituted by another system more equipped to handle the new situation, or start another large-scale war in order to destroy resources and "reboot", so to speak.

The question is, of course, whether you want to sit and wait for when we reach that junction, or start preparing the successor of capitalism today, so it's ready to fully handle the new situation when it arrives, and also maybe accelerate its arrival. Don't forget that "when machines can take care of us" isn't a singularity, it won't happen overnight, it will be a continuous event, even if it will unfold rapidly, say in a period of a few years. They are already taking care of us, to some extent. Forget basic income. Are you sure that, at least the nutrition needs of every person on the planet can't be covered *today*, with the resources we have? And if they're not, what's the cause of that?

People with billions can do whatever they like.
This OP is obviously a 'Basic Income' advocate. They just want free money to do whatever they like, and have robots do the work.
Grow up.