AI, Kumbaya, and the Hustle Culture
Musings of an Apparent Dinosaur
It is one in the morning and I have resurfaced. Ah, the late-night adventures of falling down the rabbit hole!
We’ve all been there, haven’t we?
Those moments when our dopamine delivery mechanisms (dearly known as Reddit, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok) have us hooked, and suddenly we gain consciousness only to realize it’s later than we thought.
We are not all the way under though, are we? This time is often punctuated by brief moments of sanity — or rather insanity — where we rationalize our sleep deprivation.
We convince ourselves that we can function just fine on six hours of sleep, or even five. And in moments of true bravado, we consider the daring feat of surviving on a mere four hours plus a power nap during commute, or promising ourselves crawling into our beds immediately we get home.
Anyway, more on wrecking my sleep cycle another time.
In true millennial err Gen Z fashion, I am emerging from a two hour-2X speed podcast, diving into the world of Artificial Intelligence and its potentially devastating impact on the labour market.
Now, let me be clear — I am by no means an expert on the technical intricacies of AI, and the two-hour information dump just helped me differentiate between the coding in medical dramas and the one in computer science. It’s not even spelled the same way — I don’t think.
In my haze, my realist mind (the one on the surface, thanks to capitalism and hustle culture) attempts to drown me. It starts bombarding me with worst-case scenarios and a laundry list of things I need to do to survive in this AI-driven world.
“Learn Python,” it says. “You will have to upgrade your computer to something more powerful than your trusty i5,” it insists “Quit, maybe find a small farm, try minimalist living, embark on sustainable farming, and become “one with the land.”
I think that last thought was the voice of the idealist, not the other one. That part of me apparently refuses to die. She is the voice behind this audacious advocacy for a kumbaya approach in the face of the impending age of Ultron — ahem, I mean, artificial intelligence.
Try to follow my sleep deprived adrenalized mind and picture this: a world where the one percenter whose businesses are benefiting from the usage of AI doesn’t simply buy “just one more jet” and a “custom build Rolls Royce for a push present,” or continue to store up wealth that they already can’t spend in four lifetimes, but instead allow an overflow of that goodness throughout their communities.
Imagine a scenario where the now abnormal profits (from a reduction in employee numbers, efficiency, and speed among other things) are channeled towards uplifting the lives of those who find themselves at a disadvantage in this new reality. Instead of widening the gap between the rich and the poor, this alternative path leads to a society where the tides of fortune are shared, and everyone gets a chance to ride the wave instead of being washed away by it.
Oh, the Utopia! Communities flourishing with newfound opportunities, individuals receiving support to develop their skills, and innovation spreading like confetti. Maybe, just maybe, a path back to the garden.
The garden of simplicity and serenity, where time is no longer consumed by the never-ending rat race, our minds at rest from the incessant reminder that someone else is doing better than you, might take the literal food from your mouth and if you get sick, you will starve to death if the illness doesn’t take you out first.
A place where art, nature, and meaningful connections take center stage and we have the luxury to be human, not lonely machines who get downwards from two hours of sunlight.
Now, I know what you’re thinking — this might sound too good to be true but isn’t it better? Isn’t it possible? To tap into the best of ourselves and allow the impact of AI to write a tale of opportunity and shared prosperity instead of the overplayed tale of haves and haves and have-nots?
No, this isn’t a “young people don’t want to work hard nowadays.” We, the valiant members of the workforce, are already caught up in the whirlwind of upskilling and mastering programming languages, like brave adventurers navigating a dense forest of code. Maybe more than most, we understand the importance of staying ahead of the game to remain valuable in the ever-changing labour market.
We are neck deep into the realms of Python, Java, or even the complex terminology and technical jargon that is machine learning. We immerse ourselves in online courses, coding boot camps, and tutorials, armed with determination and an unwavering commitment to expanding our skill sets. We have become knights brandishing-or attempting to brandish- the keyboard.
It is a gentle nudge to the powers that be, to both the existing and prospective members of the one percent. An invitation to consider an alternative goal without profit margins as the bottom line.
While we are not yet there, where AI becomes our trusted ally, taking care of the mundane and repetitive tasks that bog us down with robots whizzing around, efficiently replacing humans in various tasks, from flipping burgers to performing surgery-the premise of your favorite sci-fi movie-we are closer.
Let us dare to dream of a future where technological progress is not solely focused on maximizing productivity and profit. Instead, for a world where these advancements serve as stepping stones towards a more balanced existence, allowing us to tap into our creative potential and pursue our passions.
Just imagine my friends, a world where we have the freedom to explore the depths of our souls, to unleash our inner artists, philosophers, or ground that allows for the truth that our value lies not in what we produce, but in our inherent humanity to take root.
Or maybe these are just panic-induced rantings of a creative who sees the hurtling meteor and is terrified that even my bones might not survive.
