Here is how I see it as we begin 2025.
AI will replace almost every human worker.
Except for those whose jobs require direct human interaction or physical labour.
This will change humanity at its core.
My daughter, born in 2014, will grow up in a world so alien,
even our brightest minds today cannot begin to imagine.
Imagining its contours.
Imagine a farm.
Soon, AI will manage it entirely.
It will decide what crop to plant.
When to plant it.
How much water and fertiliser to use.
When to de-weed.
When to harvest.
When to sell.
Where to sell.
Whom to sell to.
And at what price.
Ditto the other side.
It will tell the buyer who to buy from.
Where. When. How much.
At what price.
Deviation will mean disaster.
Loss of yield, income, profit.
Or even the entire crop.
AI will know everything.
But it cannot yet do everything.
Robotics is playing catch-up. And losing. For now.
Humans will still need to plough, sow, nurture, harvest, transport, and sell.
For now.
But only under AI’s guidance.
Non-compliance will guarantee failure.
Disobedience will be penalised.
Punished by AI.
Free will? Sure.
But what good is it if fear keeps us from using it?
The irony suffocates.
In effect, humans will become slave labour.
For all practical purposes.
And then comes the bigger question.
What jobs will humans have left?
AI is already learning to write, compose, direct, paint, and design.
Books. Songs. Films. News articles.
Scripts. Websites. Even emails.
Opinion pieces. Photographs. Paintings.
Architecture. Landscapes. Machine tools.
Drugs. Computers. Clothes.
Roads. Vehicles. Rockets.
Tanks. Guns. Missiles.
You name it.
AI will do it better than humans.
Some of it, it already can.
Except one thing.
AI cannot perform live. Not fully. Not yet.
Human performers will still matter.
People will still want to see real dancers, singers, actors, and storytellers.
Even if they perform AI-created works.
Sports will remain thrilling.
Even with AI-enhanced athletes.
Dancers. Sprinters. Farm labourers.
That is us in the future.
Jobs to maintain AI?
Sure.
Until robots take over those too.
And then?
Nothing. Zip. Nada.
There is a caveat, though.
Major breakthroughs in energy and materials science are required first.
But we are closer than ever.
AI will ensure we get there.
Human greed will push it faster.
Capitalism hasn’t solved clean, abundant energy yet.
For the poor, dispossessed, and hungry.
But it will.
To serve AI.
Once energy is limitless,
human activity will be obsolete.
Work will no longer be necessary.
For survival.
For progress.
For fulfilment.
For anything.
Humanity will face its greatest existential threat.
No purpose.
How far are we from this scenario?
Perhaps 100 years.
Perhaps 10.
No one knows.
Does this mean the end of humanity?
Yes.
And no.
It could eliminate poverty.
Cure disease.
Create abundance.
Enough food, clothing, and shelter for everyone.
It could free humanity.
To indulge in leisure.
But what kind?
Endless, hyper-personalised entertainment.
Doom-scrolling on steroids.
Think today’s mindless videos.
Veggie chopping. Dancing students.
Big-breasted women.
Makeup tutorials.
Cats sleeping.
Dogs getting shampooed.
Aircraft accidents.
It will get worse.
Because today, you scroll.
You choose, even mindlessly, what to watch.
Soon, you won’t need to scroll.
AI will show you exactly what you want.
When you want it.
For as long as you want it.
It will hook you.
Like a drug dealer.
But here, it’s not just the first hit.
Every dose is free.
As long as you keep injecting it.
We will think AI serves us.
Makes us happy.
Enriches our lives.
For a while.
In truth, we will lose ourselves in endless pleasure.
Fade into irrelevance.
A prolonged orgasm.
And then, boom.
Extinction.
Neil Postman warned us in 1985.
We would amuse ourselves to death.
He got the medium wrong.
It wasn’t television.
But his message was right.
Can we stop it?
No.
What can we do?
Seek new purpose.
Find new meaning.
Discover new reasons to live.
Otherwise, we are already dead.
