Buzzbytes:
With AI taking over hitherto human-dominant fields, the devil is often said to be summoned, as many knowledgeable observers of our time warn. In future, when it becomes full throttle in operation, it holds the potential to replace humans in the market.
So far, humans are there in the field to withstand the challenges posed by this novel technology, as emotional decisions are yet taken by human beings themselves. It is largely the analytical or cognitive part where AI is working wonders. What if the technology covers both aspects in the near future?
Largely, humans may have nothing distinctive to offer. In the field of education, robotic teachers can already help learners solve problems. Imagine the upcoming time when students receive advice related to learning from AI itself—counselling, subject choice, motivation, career guidance and emotional support. Teachers may see their space dwarfing and shrinking in the very fields where they hold the aces as of now.
Similarly, in medicine and healthcare, one can imagine the invention of advanced biometric systems capable of gauging the emotional mood of a person and acting accordingly. Suppose a person is in a grim mood; the device, by employing vast amounts of personal data, may know which song to play, what activity to recommend, or whom to contact to elevate the individual’s mood, thereby replacing some of the roles currently performed by psychologists and counsellors. It may even aid individuals in finding partners satisfying their tastes and temperament.
Such possibilities are explored by Yuval Noah Harari in his book 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, where one gets a glimpse of the shape of things to come.
The questions that follow subsequently are unsettling.
Will humans lose their jobs?
In the absence of jobs, what role will they play?
Will they morph into a class that is economically redundant and socially irrelevant?
These are some of the questions that haunt contemporary imagination.
In the annals of history, everything novel in its form and manifestation has upset the apple cart. Starting with the Cognitive Revolution, then the Agricultural Revolution, and finally the Industrial Revolution, all brought profound changes in every dimension of human life.
The Industrial Revolution, for instance, led to massive production through machines and gave birth to the capitalist class, which went on to assume dominant roles in political and social life. Earlier hierarchies were challenged and replaced by more fluid social arrangements where groups witnessed opportunities for upward mobility. New ideas of equality, citizenship and fair play gradually came to the fore.
By the same token, technological disruption may well be the fourth great transformation in recorded human history. As of now, people hold apprehensions about it because they are aware that the future is uncertain.
Two policy measures are often suggested as an antidote, though not a permanent cure: Universal Basic Income (UBI) and Universal Basic Services (UBS).
Universal Basic Income refers to a system in which every citizen receives a regular and unconditional cash payment from the state, irrespective of employment status or income level. The objective is to guarantee a minimum standard of living even when traditional jobs become scarce due to automation.
While no country has fully implemented UBI on a permanent national scale, experiments have been conducted in places . Likewise, several Scandinavian countries provide extensive welfare protections and social services that embody some of the principles underlying UBI and UBS.
An interesting example discussed by Harari concerns communities whose lives are not centred primarily on economic productivity. It raises a provocative question: if a society can guarantee basic material security, can people devote more time to learning, spirituality, culture and community life? Could a similar model function elsewhere if UBI acts as a safety net?
Yet a cautionary tale is necessary. Human beings derive not only income but also identity, purpose, social status and meaning from work. If UBI is implemented without creating alternative avenues for participation and fulfilment, it may inadvertently produce boredom, alienation and social fragmentation. A population financially secure but psychologically adrift may not necessarily become a happier one.
This is where Universal Basic Services assume importance. UBS refers to the provision of essential services by the state or community, such as healthcare, education, public transport, digital access, sports facilities, libraries, parks, cultural centres and recreational spaces.
The significance of such services extends beyond economics. Sports and recreational activities improve physical health, reduce stress and anxiety, foster social bonds and strengthen community life. Cultural and educational spaces provide opportunities for creativity, self-expression and lifelong learning. In a future where paid employment may occupy a smaller place in people’s lives, such institutions could become indispensable sources of meaning and belonging.
The relevance of such measures is not confined to a distant AI-driven future alone. Even in the present, societies grappling with unemployment, mental distress and substance abuse may draw valuable lessons from them. The case of Jammu and Kashmir is particularly instructive in this regard.
A significant section of Kashmiri youth faces the challenge of unemployment and uncertainty. While economic hardship is one dimension of the problem, the psychological consequences are often equally severe. Prolonged unemployment is frequently accompanied by anxiety, frustration and a diminished sense of self-worth.
The growing menace of drug abuse cannot be viewed merely through a criminal or medical lens. In many instances, it is also linked with purposelessness, social isolation and the absence of meaningful engagement. An idle mind, deprived of opportunities for self-worth and participation, becomes vulnerable to destructive alternatives.
It is here that Universal Basic Income and Universal Basic Services can act as an antidote. UBI may provide a minimum level of economic security, reducing the desperation that often accompanies prolonged unemployment. UBS, on the other hand, can provide avenues through which individuals remain socially connected and psychologically engaged.
Imagine community sports centres, public libraries, cultural hubs, vocational workshops, parks and recreational facilities accessible to all. Young people may devote their time to sports, art, literature, innovation, volunteering and skill development. Such activities do not merely fill time; they cultivate discipline, social bonds and a sense of purpose.
In a region like Kashmir, where mental health challenges among youth have become a matter of public concern, such services could contribute not only to physical fitness but also to emotional resilience and social cohesion. The objective should not merely be to keep people occupied but to help them lead meaningful lives.
At the same time, technological change should not be viewed exclusively through the lens of job destruction. History suggests a more nuanced picture. While old occupations disappear, new ones emerge.
The drone industry offers an instructive example. Behind every drone are designers, engineers, software developers, manufacturing workers, maintenance technicians, trainers, logistics personnel, operators and data analysts. Entire ecosystems of employment arise around new technologies. The jobs created are often different from those lost, but they remain jobs nonetheless.
Change, after all, is the only constant. This is not the first time that humanity has stood at the threshold of a transformative era. The Cognitive, Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions brought upheavals so profound that contemporaries often struggled to comprehend them. Yet societies adapted, institutions evolved and human beings gradually learned to inhabit worlds vastly different from those of their predecessors.
This is precisely how historical periods are distinguished from one another. Every age develops new institutions, new occupations and new ways of life that would have appeared unimaginable to previous generations.
It is hoped that Artificial Intelligence too will ultimately emerge as a liberator rather than a destroyer. Some existing jobs may indeed disappear, but new occupations—many of which remain beyond our imagination today—are likely to emerge as substitutes. What appears as a threat in one age may reveal itself as a blessing in disguise in another.
Perhaps the challenge before humanity is not merely to preserve jobs but to preserve meaning. As Friedrich Nietzsche observed, “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” The central question of the AI age may therefore be less about machines and more about ourselves: can we create new purposes, new forms of participation and new visions of human flourishing in a world where labour is no longer the sole measure of worth?
The future, therefore, may not belong to those who merely compete with machines, but to those who learn to redefine what itoolp means to be human
Author holds a Master’s degree in Political Science and is interested in the intersection of technology, ethics, politics, and society.
