Finding Purpose in a World with AI

If your job was partially automated tomorrow, what would give you a sense of purpose?

It’s a big question—and one many of us will face as AI changes how we work. As repetitive tasks are handed over to machines, and new efficiencies reshape entire industries, we may soon find ourselves with fewer hours spent "doing" and more space for simply being. That can be freeing, but also deeply disorienting in a culture that has long equated productivity with worth.

For generations, we’ve measured success by output: hours worked, emails answered, tasks completed. But what happens when those markers start to disappear? We’ll need new cultural frameworks that redefine what makes a life meaningful, satisfactory, purposeful, and pleasant.

One possibility is a shift toward valuing care, creativity, and community in ways we haven't in a very, very long time. A shorter workweek might allow more time for parenting, volunteering, mentoring, or art. Teachers and caregivers might start to be valued more (and hopefully paid more). Connection might be prioritized instead of only sought if we have "spare time." These are activities and contributions that matter deeply but have been overlooked or undervalued in past decades.

The challenge will be internal as much as external. Many of us have been conditioned to feel guilty when we’re not "being productive." But purpose doesn’t have to come from busyness. It can come from growth, connection, love, and service. It can come from learning to be present, rather than constantly proving our worth. It's a very personal philiosphical belief that will drive us all to figure out what the purpose of an "easy" life could be- just as any good science fiction writer.

As the nature of what we call "work" changes, so too must the stories we tell ourselves about what matters. We may find that a meaningful life isn’t built on endless striving, but on choosing wisely where we place our attention, our energy, and our care. The world ahead may be more automated, but it doesn't have to be less human. In fact, this could be our chance to become more human than ever before.

I encourage you to take out a pen and sheet of paper and spend the next few minutes jotting down your own ideas of what gives you a sense of purpose, what drives you, and what makes you feel successful. Take a look at these concepts with the curious compassion I know you have in you, and begin this process of exploration, because ready or not...hear the future comes!