Explain SMBC — the wiki for Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal

The Joke

The comic is divided into two panels labeled "Prediction" and "Reality." In the top panel, a mustachioed man (resembling a 19th-century intellectual or futurist) confidently predicts that in the future, humanity will use the wealth derived from automation to work fewer and fewer hours. In the bottom panel, labeled "Reality," a man proudly presents a computer to onlookers and declares, "This computer uses only artisanal bits!"

The joke contrasts the optimistic prediction that automation would liberate humanity from work with the absurd reality that people instead invent new, unnecessary forms of labor. Rather than enjoying leisure, humans have created an economy where even digital information -- binary bits -- could hypothetically be marketed as handcrafted "artisanal" products, mimicking the trend of artisanal goods in food, crafts, and other industries.

The Humor

The comedy lies in the sharp disconnect between utopian futurism and human nature. Economists like John Maynard Keynes famously predicted that technological progress would lead to a 15-hour work week by the early 21st century. Instead, people have found ways to create entirely new categories of work and consumption, often driven by status and novelty rather than necessity. The idea of "artisanal bits" is gloriously absurd -- bits are literally just ones and zeros -- yet it perfectly captures how consumer culture can fetishize craft and authenticity to the point of meaninglessness. The comic suggests that no matter how much wealth automation creates, humans will always find ways to keep themselves busy with increasingly ridiculous occupations.

References

• Keynes' "Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren" (1930): Keynes predicted that by 2030, living standards would be so high that people would only need to work about 15 hours per week.
• Artisanal movement: The trend of marketing handmade, small-batch, or traditionally crafted goods as premium products, which has expanded from food and drink into increasingly unlikely categories.