What Happens When AI Takes Our Jobs?
Technology advisor Monty McCoy argues that the most important question about AI isn’t whether machines will take jobs, but what humans will do next. He warns that removing routine work without providing new meaning could lead to distraction, outrage, and division rather than creativity and connection.
When the author had back surgery, they expected a linear recovery process. However, they experienced a setback, realizing that healing is often not as predictable as we assume. This parallel underscores our potential miscalculations regarding AI’s impact on society.
The transition to an automated world will be uneven, with varying advancements and setbacks across technologies, industries, and locations. There will be breakthroughs, resistance, and unexpected results.
But the key question is: what happens to us when AI works? When machines take over routine tasks, what fills the void left behind?
Most people derive more from work than just a salary—it structures their days, creates obligations, and provides purpose. If this "whirlwind" of work disappears, who will we become?
We might imagine that increased free time would lead to discovery, creativity, or relationship deepening, but history shows that without structure, people often fill the gap with noise—social media, entertainment, etc. This concerns McCoy more than AI taking jobs itself.
He emphasizes that a society with more free time could be either more creative and connected or more distracted, fragmented, and restless, depending on our choices. The technology itself is neutral; it’s up to us how we navigate this new landscape.
This leads McCoy to explore the concept of ownership in relation to AI, suggesting that it’s crucial for individuals to have a say in shaping their future in an automated world.