Why We Work, and What We'll Do in a Post-Work Future

"Historically, technology often displaced workers. The invention of the printing press in the 15th century, for example, displaced thousands of clerical workers who were then employed to manually write book copies. And the invention of the automobile displaced an entire economy of horse-based transportation in the early 20th century. But these past job displacements were nearly always mitigated by equal or greater job replacement. Even as advancing technology made certain jobs obsolete, it created new jobs that were generally safer and higher quality."

"For the first time, however, we now face a technology change that will not merely displace certain jobs but perhaps even displace the entire need for human labor. Although much of the current attention to this risk is rightfully centered on the financial consequences-how will we pay for food and shelter, for instance-far less discussion is directed toward the equally large impact on human psychology."

"Work fulfills not only essential physical needs for us but also psychological needs. Even if a work-free world offers physical abundance, we may still experience psychological poverty. When people think of Maslow's hierarchy, they probably do not make an automatic association with work. Classically, Maslow's hierarchy is a model for understanding human motivation, suggesting an ascending (typically portrayed in a pyramid form) process"

A technological shift over the next decade may produce a world where human labor is no longer necessary for many people, especially those under 55. Historical technological advances displaced workers but generally created new, often better jobs. The current wave of AI and robotics poses the novel possibility of displacing the entire need for human labor, raising financial and psychological concerns. Work supplies both physical necessities and psychological meaning. Even with material abundance, people may face psychological poverty. Understanding work through frameworks like Maslow's hierarchy can clarify why preparing for a work-free future requires addressing psychological as well as economic needs.

Read at Psychology Today