I frequently read articles and interviews that emphasize almost exclusively the benefits each new technology will bring; the downside concerns job losses resulting from the use of a system or facility capable of performing the work of one or more people in a repetitive and automated manner.
We saw it happen with the Industrial Revolutions, then with the displacement of local neighborhood shops by franchise chains—ideally located in shopping malls rather than city centers—and the transition from there to e-commerce was a natural progression. Today, we see this same pattern applied to "knowledge work," with AI at times promising to "replace" every form of intellectual labor—from writing a book, a speech, or an essay to developing software—thereby somewhat undermining the notion that *you* are the one making the difference. This was both predictable and inevitable whenever your work follows standard procedures and utilizes standard tools: a mass-produced product can be replicated by a machine. Period.
Progress is unstoppable, clearly. While I agree that every new discovery, technology, and field of application requires skilled professionals to manage them—thereby creating jobs—I also believe that, in most cases, an experienced worker can be trained and retrained to seize the opportunities presented by an evolving labor market.
States need a medium- to long-term vision that views their citizens as the foundational pillar—one in which to invest through culture and well-being—to ensure health and progress. Only in this way is it possible to build identity and a sense of belonging, preventing resources from seeking out other parts of the world to drive future growth and development.
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