AI and the future of work

Deb Schell

2 years ago

AI and the future of work.

If robots take tasks that humans used to do and do them faster, that makes it easier for humans to do other things, but what is the “other,” and how does this relate to compensation?

I’m a kid of the 80s and have worked hourly rates most of my life. I remember when the minimum wage was under $5 an hour. I’ve learned in my 20 years that hourly work is for people who punch a clock waiting for the day to end.

In every job I’ve ever had, I’ve always found a way to innovate it. This was my demise when I had a home cleaning business.

As I became a more efficient house cleaner, I made less money. If I took longer to clean a house, the more I could charge a client ($100 / 4 hours), but if it didn’t take four hours, then I didn’t make $100. It was actually to my benefit to be LESS productive to make more money.

I have had a photography business, and now a consulting business, and I no longer charge hourly because of this exact issue. I’m not going to waste my time or a client’s time. I work efficiently and productively, and it doesn’t matter if that takes me 6 hours or 2; all that matters is that what I said I would do has been completed to the client’s satisfaction.

No one wants to work 8 hours a day. We all would instead work less and spend more time with our families. I know that is the concept behind AI, but the problem is that when we take people’s jobs away before we’ve found a way to upskill them, how will they make a living?

AI and the future of work.
Most people depend on that
40-hour-a-week job to pay the bills.

AI and the future of work.

So, what happens to those who work these jobs if technology keeps stepping in to take over and jobs are eliminated? They end up in a pickle. Unless they have savings, a family, or are rich, they are going into the next hustle to find another job, another job, and another job.

They don’t get to sit on a beach and enjoy life because they are still figuring out how to replace that 40-hour-a-week job. People make the worst decisions when they are stressed. Bad choices like drinking too much and driving, or bad decisions like getting upset when they lose that job and then hurt others.

I’m sure that I’m not the first to think about this, but consider that much of the economic systems in the US are based on people working hourly wages. As the world continues toward innovation, humans become less motivated to be productive if they work hourly because it doesn’t serve them.

This will lead to a need for a change in how the future of compensation will be determined through task and project-based work because it will be easier to set up a clear expectation and roadmap for timeline, budget, resources, and staff allocation.

Does this mean we all get to a point where we only work 4 hours a week? No, because the system will take a long time to catch up to this challenge.

In the meantime, while the world figures out this systematic change, which I expect will take the rest of my lifetime, most of us will struggle to be in both worlds – navigating how to work with people who want to use AI instead of people. In contrast, humans struggle with homelessness, mental illness, and a complete lack of ability to provide compassion and dignity to so many human beings.

AI and the future of work.
So how are we going to prepare for this future of work?

AI and the future of work.

It takes a deep, intentional approach to being a better human before we rely on technology to do our work. Tools are helpful; I am all about using technology.

I’m not interested in being a creative person who has to jump from one trend to another to stay afloat, and I still feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and emotionally drained from trying so hard to build relationships with people – who are the reason for my work.

People need a purpose to feel they are valued. They need to feel needed. If we continue to replace humans with technology, it leads to a sense of devaluation and unimportance. It doesn’t take a detective to figure out that people who lack purpose experience higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress.

We are living in a mental health crisis. There are little to no resources for people who’ve gone through devastating family loss, suffered from job loss, or experienced abuse, war, crime, drug addiction, human trafficking, and more.

Yet these exact problems are the least funded and most needed today. While technology has brought us closer in the past few years, it has also prevented us from having more meaningful and deep conversations that used to happen more in person with relationships close to home.

I will try to explore the world of AI tech… but with my eyes wide open with the ability to see all the possibilities and challenges it brings. Let’s ensure we create a new system for the next generation that allows them to connect better and enjoy living on this fantastic planet.

Raise the bar of the human experience for your kids and their kids.

Email: Deb@FindCalmHere.com

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AI and the future of work.

If robots take tasks that humans used to do and do them faster, that makes it easier for humans to do other things, but what is the “other,” and how does this relate to compensation?

I’m a kid of the 80s and have worked hourly rates most of my life. I remember when the minimum wage was under $5 an hour. I’ve learned in my 20 years that hourly work is for people who punch a clock waiting for the day to end.

In every job I’ve ever had, I’ve always found a way to innovate it. This was my demise when I had a home cleaning business.

As I became a more efficient house cleaner, I made less money. If I took longer to clean a house, the more I could charge a client ($100 / 4 hours), but if it didn’t take four hours, then I didn’t make $100. It was actually to my benefit to be LESS productive to make more money.

No one wants to work 8 hours a day. We all would instead work less and spend more time with our families. I know that is the concept behind AI, but the problem is that when we take people’s jobs away before we’ve found a way to upskill them, how will they make a living?

AI and the future of work. Most people depend on that 40-hour-a-week job to pay the bills.

AI and the future of work.

So, what happens to those who work these jobs if technology keeps stepping in to take over and jobs are eliminated? They end up in a pickle. Unless they have savings, a family, or are rich, they are going into the next hustle to find another job, another job, and another job.

I’m sure that I’m not the first to think about this, but consider that much of the economic systems in the US are based on people working hourly wages. As the world continues toward innovation, humans become less motivated to be productive if they work hourly because it doesn’t serve them.

This will lead to a need for a change in how the future of compensation will be determined through task and project-based work because it will be easier to set up a clear expectation and roadmap for timeline, budget, resources, and staff allocation.

Does this mean we all get to a point where we only work 4 hours a week? No, because the system will take a long time to catch up to this challenge.

AI and the future of work. So how are we going to prepare for this future of work?

AI and the future of work.

It takes a deep, intentional approach to being a better human before we rely on technology to do our work. Tools are helpful; I am all about using technology.

I’m not interested in being a creative person who has to jump from one trend to another to stay afloat, and I still feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and emotionally drained from trying so hard to build relationships with people – who are the reason for my work.

We are living in a mental health crisis. There are little to no resources for people who’ve gone through devastating family loss, suffered from job loss, or experienced abuse, war, crime, drug addiction, human trafficking, and more.

Yet these exact problems are the least funded and most needed today. While technology has brought us closer in the past few years, it has also prevented us from having more meaningful and deep conversations that used to happen more in person with relationships close to home.

I will try to explore the world of AI tech… but with my eyes wide open with the ability to see all the possibilities and challenges it brings. Let’s ensure we create a new system for the next generation that allows them to connect better and enjoy living on this fantastic planet.

Raise the bar of the human experience for your kids and their kids.

WORKING HOURS

Resources

Social Media

AI and the future of work.
Most people depend on that
40-hour-a-week job to pay the bills.

AI and the future of work.
So how are we going to prepare for this future of work?