brain power a commodity?

Filed in archive Global Economy on December 14, 2003

Rajesh has an interesting article:

"The 'new new economy' way - one that recognises that well-educated human minds are as much of a commodity as any standards-compatible central processing unit - involves software written by bright maverick programmers (maybe tucked away in an East European 'transitional economy'), the incredibly cheap communication infrastructure of the Internet, and literal warehouses of Indian mechanical-mental workers typing away for what to us may appear as Bargain basement wages (but which are still more than they could otherwise earn).

Politicians and losing businessmen call it 'unfair competition', while the businessmen that are making money out of it prefer the expression 'emerging outsourcing platforms'.

We see it simply as an extension of Moore's Law to human beings, which can be put simply like this: The knowledge, expertise and ingenuity that you can rent for US$10,000 (S$17,300), or US$1,000, a year is rising exponentially."

Outsourcing is much more difficult as often cited, but it becomes easier indeed. The idea to "package" brain work in processes that can be shifted to any place in the world, steadily decreasing prices as more and more developing nations have access to the Internet is challenging....