China is a great example of what the singularity could be for cost of goods
Some talk about material science advancements through AI, which is arguably an incredible thing that I think brings us to the future closer and closer more than anything. And today, I had a realization while looking at some parts for my car on Alibaba. China used to be known with a stigma for cheap, poorly made parts. It was few and far between on the quality of the exports they made. Suddenly in the past few years, their quality has increased tenfold and now many, many factories can make some incredible products for a lot cheaper.
A lot of the reason for this is their industrial infrastructure is hyper optimized and superior. The margins they can make on parts that cost as low as a penny to produce is insane. I recently was looking at a body kit for my vehicle made with real, hand forged carbon (I’m part of a group that scouts and vets these sellers to ensure what they’re selling is true to their claims) that went for $3,000, which is normally around 15-20 grand if sold from a name brand. Another example was seeing real forged rims that normally go for thousands a set, only merely $950 for 4. Again, all vetted and of quality. It made me realize that as cheap as these things are, it’s because of the incredible infrastructure behind it that allows for these products to be sold for so cheap, and will only get cheaper.
And it also made me realize when AI reaches the singularity, optimization and material sciences only makes it cheaper. Parts and materials we dreamed of owning or having would be made for pennies or effectively free (if we’re considering a singularity then we’re considering monetary denominations wouldn’t exist). I could even imagine toys and tools being 3D printed with industrial quality, like a new motorcycle of your favorite model, or dewalt saw for a hobby you always wanted to make by hand, all for free because of the advancements. I think China is the first real proof breaking through the ever increasing inflation of goods and materials in capitalistic societies, where it feels like nothing ever gets cheaper even if it’s more advanced in tech.