Machine competition
Machines of our own creation have already rid the world of enormous amounts of physical labour. Our newest machines are poised to rid the world of enormous amounts of work that, until now, required human skill.
As recently as 1790, 90% of the US labour force worked the farm. Imagine if food had suddenly become abundant and nearly free – that 90% of the labour force would find themselves stripped of employment, identify and income.
In 1900, the average American household spent 43% of its income on food. Today that figure is less than %13. And agriculture only occupies less than 3% of the workforce. The good news is that the change took over a hundred years. This gave people, generations in fact, time to find new occupations.
The new machines, robotics and AI, won’t wait one hundred years.
I don’t mind the machines doing the boring bits of my job, but I’d hate to give up any pay. So what’s a human to do?
Enter the Creative Age
Creativity is at the heart of personal development, economic growth and meeting societal need. Creativity is an essential human skill, and one of the most meaningful contributions we as humans can make.
And soon, when machines do all the repetitive work on the farm, in the factory, and in the office, creative work will be one of the few rewarding categories of employment left.
Let’s invent something!
