Jul 1, 2017

Life without work

Revue

July 1 · Issue #3 · View online

The last memo, about “nothing,” connected to many of you. I received e-mails and heard from friends and clients by phone and in person. It seems we’re all aligned with the idea of doing nothing as a purposeful part of our lives.

The focus of this Memo is artificial intelligence. More specifically: what happens when artificial intelligence and robots replace or eliminate over half of current jobs. Will we need to work? Will we still want to if we don’t have to? Will robots be pulling rabbits out of hats?

Three questions I have about AI:

Will robots take my job?

willrobotstakemyjob.com – Share

Let’s begin with this simple and direct question. Like me, you’re probably wondering if your job may one day disappear. This website will let you know. Teachers, you’re safe. Shipping clerks, watch out. Try it.

If I don't have to work, how will I keep busy?

www.theguardian.com – Share

The author of Sapiens (an amazing book) writes that people have to engage in purposeful activities or they go crazy. He suggests we will find meaning through virtual reality games generated inside and outside of computers.

The idea of finding meaning in life by playing virtual reality games is of course common not just to religions, but also to secular ideologies and lifestyles. Consumerism too is a virtual reality game.

The biggest takeaway I have from this article, and the next one, is that we are responsible for creating meaning in our lives. We have full control over where and how we find our purpose.

Would I enjoy a life without work?

www.theguardian.com – Share

The author of Happiness by Design suggests that the happiest people are those who experience feelings of both purpose and pleasure over time. I certainly plan to continue doing magic tricks for the rest of my life. I’ve never thought of it as a job.

The benefits of automation are only going to be enjoyed if they are recognized.

We don’t just work for income. We work for meaning and purpose. Perhaps the future will be an opportunity to have even more of that. In fact, if that’s true, why do we need to wait?

I don't have any magical answers yet, only questions.

Sticking with our theme, I just finished binge-watching a 2-season series revolving around AI. It’s called Humans, and I highly recommend it. It’s about a future where we live with synthetic robots.

That future feels like it’s right around the corner. But then again, I dreamed of voice recognition back in 1994, the same year that Jeff Bezos started Amazon, and only now is this magical Echo Dot floating through our household and making life easy. So, while we plan for this future, let’s remember that good things take time.

At home with my wish fulfiller, Alexa

Thanks for joining me in the past, present and future.

Thank you for sharing the memo and for letting me know how it’s inspired you, your friends, or your co-workers. I love to hear what you think about all this. Connecting with others is the most human thing I can imagine. Good thing we have computers to help us do it seamlessly. I look forward to hearing from you. Until next time.

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