But by the same token, there's no need for billions of humans now. AGI isn't really going to change that except for making work even more superfluous than it already is.
Currently the life of leaders gets better the more people they can control, since it creates a larger tax base. That means leaders tries to encourage population increase, they want more immigration, encourages people to multiply and sees population reduction as harmful.
With AGI that is no longer true, they can just replace most people with computers and automated combat drones while they keep a small number of personal servants to look after them. Currently most jobs either is there to support other humans or can be replaced by a computer, remove the need for humans and all of those jobs just disappear and leaders no longer care about having lots of people around.
If you want to look into it more, that situation is usually called a post-scarcity economy[1]. It's talked about and depicted in a few fictionalized places, including Star Trek.
But who would own the automatons and power generators, and what would be their impetus to share their power? Unless the means of (energy) production moved out of the hands of the few it seems like it wouldn't make the rest of our lives any more idyllic.
Yeah it's true. When I donate/help I always feel this "mine". I believe in merit, you know, effort in effort out. It's nice to help people but there are also too
many... and bad actors. So idk if it'll ever happen or just for select few anyway.
I almost regret being at this phase of life where we are aware of what's possible but we most likely not see it in our lifetime. This AGI talk, colonization of space, etc... but can strive towards it/have fun trying in the meantime.
And as societies progress, they must either realize why basic necessities like Universal Basic Income exist, or just allow for large swathes of their population to die off.
that's one way of putting it
it will remove the need for the vast majority of the population, which will end extremely badly