What Will We Do?
What if we didn’t have to work? How would we spend our time? For most of us, this is not a question that has warranted contemplation given financial realities. But as a society, now would seem to be the right time to begin planning for the possibility of a future in which human labor is automated.
The societal implications would be significant. Many of us spend 25% or more of our waking hours working. Our identities are often defined by our work. Yet if you’re following advancements in robotics and generative AI, it’s possible to imagine a time when manual labor is done by robots and “cognitive labor” is done by generative AI. This doesn’t mean there won’t be some new, different form of work. Humans are a creative species, and our societies need structure to survive. Indeed, as a societal construct, work originated to enhance human survival. It has its roots in the betterment of human civilization.
Sam Altman, as far back as 2016, conducted the most comprehensive study of Universal Basic Income or “UBI” in US history. Why would he be so interested in this topic? Altman has been vocal about the need for UBI as technology advances to replace much of human labor. Few would seemingly be in a better position to see this future than Altman.
It’s important to remember, our economic systems are of our own invention. For most of us, it’s difficult to step outside the demands of our daily work life and realize…we did this to ourselves. You hear echoes of this in the current discourse about return to office and work-life balance. I’ve long argued this discussion is more about people wanting to work less than it is about office space. To be sure, the present tension around work can be traced directly to technology. After all, it’s technology that enabled some who formerly worked in offices to now work from anywhere. Indeed, this is a precursor to the bigger conversation that lies ahead, the one in which not just the office, but the job itself, is no longer necessary. What will we do?