Working on the Future of Work

By: Caleb Nadeau

The technical overlords have grandiose visions of what work will look like in the future. The picture of a time ahead not unlike the Jetsons is often brought up, and yet, the deployment of A.I. (a technology that is still not federally regulated) is often viewed with much trepidation by others (including some of the very inventors of the technology itself) as a kind of Manhattan Project moment.  (ibtimes.co)  A moment that will usher in great change at the potential loss of humanity itself.

It is the very idea of what we know about work that is particularly being challenged and with changing definitions of what work could look like, one might ask, “How would the Lord view these upcoming changes and what is the decent (God-honoring) manner in which we should live in these fast-paced, evolving times?”

As of the time of this writing, the current U.S. job market is starting to reach a dead end. Since the unmentionable events of 2020, job placement has been in a rather dormant state (with no hire, no fire policies), while the U.S. economy has been marked by significantly high inflation levels. The U.S. is not alone in this, as our Northern neighbor (Canada) has received its share of financial hardship, including the loss of 40,800 jobs. (bloomberg.com)

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. added far fewer jobs in July than what had initially been expected. However, these statistics do not always take into account the non-traditional roles many people are now engaging in. This includes contract work and the gig economy.

Despite all that, the headlines are starting to speak for themselves. Many (including well-educated professionals) are faced with the challenge of waiting for work at a much longer than expected time frame. For job seekers, the reality of applying for jobs includes countless rejections, stiff competition, and even an inability to obtain a human to human facing interview.

Then there is Artificial Intelligence, the great question mark of our times. According to Yahoo! Finance, the AI market will grow 820% by 2030, making it a trillion dollar industry. It is also expected to generate exceptional economic growth, but at the probable cost of diminished human labor.

Amidst all the fear-mongering there are signs of potential benefit from AI. Automated systems would easily cut down time, freeing up people’s lives to focus on other tasks. In healthcare, advanced robotics has helped facilitate safety during surgeries and AI has the capability of creating personalized medical plans and leading disease prevention initiatives.

Additionally, there is increased potential for wealth creation from AI powered businesses and within the agriculture sector, it could be used for improved weather forecasting data, high cost saving potential, and more enhanced crop monitoring. This would lead to more sustainable and robust farms and it would mitigate unpredictable patterns that are often missed due to human error.

While not all jobs are expected to disappear overnight, many white-collar, entry-level positions will likely become obsolete relatively soon, however. The need to upskill and adapt to changing technologies will be imperative going forward, in order to stay relevant in a constantly changing job market.

The most valued work of the future is often depicted as a mix between human-centered professions (psychological services, education, public safety and healthcare), AI enhanced technological fields (cybersecurity, data specialisation, user design) and skilled trades, which are expected to be growing and rewarding professions in the near term.

But what about the rest of us? Some futurists believe that there will be a large percentage of people that simply will not have jobs. This is a belief shared by Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and several others.

According to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, unemployment could reach 20% in the next five years. (Fortune.com)  For reference, this is about the same rate as the Great Depression.

Meanwhile, Sam Altman’s popular chatbot known as Chat-GPT (as well as several A.I. competitors) have passed the acclaimed Turing Test and according to Altman, with the new stable release of Chat GPT 5 (which launched this past week), generative A.I. is now said to be at the intellectual level of a PhD student.(BBC)

Former Democratic Presidential Candidate Andrew Yang warned about the possibility of this happening in 2020. Yang, like others, have advocated a policy of Universal Basic Income that would give people $1,000 a month to live on. In this way, people could hypothetically be paid to just live their lives, in a society largely controlled and administered by artificial intelligence.

Does this sound suspiciously like Socialism? Possibly even Communism? An elite group of people that hoards most of the wealth keeps the rest of the population reliant on the government to keep existing, thereby undermining individuality and thus ushering in an era of mass surveillance, shared wealth creation, communalism, and lack of property rights? Cue Curtis Bowers for another documentary.  🙂

Perhaps there is a humbling lesson that humanity can learn from the evolving and often chaotic situation involving AI and work. That our identity is not tied to what we do, how fancy our title is, how much money we make, the approval of man and all these other temporary, societal benchmarks. Our identity is found in Jesus Christ and our worth is tied to our allegiance to Him.

In a hypothetical world where the machines are more intelligent than ever before and our capabilities are seemingly less valued than in the past, we are forced to ponder the fact that our reliance on our own ability, our own accolades and perceived strengths are not all that we imagined.

That we are not perfect people and that our own human pride has caused so much turmoil in this world. Perhaps now we will be forced to consider the idolatry and selfishness our world has perpetuated and this may spur others to repentance.

It should also be noted that the foolishness of the most rich and powerful will eventually catch up to them, as they plot to become ever more like gods. God is, as we know, a jealous God.

With all that said, it seems that man continues to search for all the answers to an uncertain future. Turning to all the scenarios and not going to the source of the answers: The Lord Jesus Christ. Many wonder if AI will help improve their lives or take it away. Will the technology go rogue or operate under close human supervision? Do we trust the humans that even supervise it? What will the workforce look like, if there is any at all? Why would God allow this to happen? How will younger generations live through or prepare for such a time as this?

Listen to the words of Jesus, “Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” -Matthew 28:20

Jesus promises to be with us always, no matter what circumstance, no matter what time or event. He promises that his presence will always be there and that we can call on his name when we feel overwhelmed.

No man knows the time or the date when He will return. That is up to God to decide and by His grace, He is longsuffering in His wrath. It is not my role to speculate, it is however, to proclaim the name of Christ and to live for Him during any time or season. Waiting on the Lord, as He fulfills his promises.

That is our purpose as believers now, in the future, and that will be our purpose for all eternity. Let’s trust in that and lean not on our own understanding. In all our ways we should acknowledge Him and He will make our paths straight. Selah.

 

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