This is an English translation of an article I wrote for a German magazine. The article looks into the post apocalyptic strategies the wealthy and ultrarich are focusing on. Main point: The rich are as afraid of the collapse of society as anyone else, but their means to face the calamity are on another level.
I’m glad you mentioned robots, because robots and automation are something I deal with often. I can respond with a question: You’re forgetting how useless a billionaire is, aren’t you?
Robots don’t spring from whole cloth, ready to go. Someone, usually several people, have to make them. And once they are made, someone has to maintain them, charge them, and repair them. Amd it will be left in the hands of someone that Bob the Billionaire doesn’t respect: a mechanic. Someone who isn’t useless, and can disable those robots in minutes, probably in ways you can’t easily trace.
I totally agree but something like perimeter Phalanx CIWS with decent ammo stores would put all but the bravest off for a while surely you agree with that? I’m also expecting one of the first purposes of decent Automatons would be a certain amount of self maintainance/basic repair.
Therein lies the problem. No matter what they come up with, it will not work forever.