Work ethic in the age of AI

The workplace is changing in a big way, but experts think we have less to fear if we learn to hustle.

- CALLUM NEWMAN

The writer Mark Ford said once that junkies don’t get the respect they deserve.

What was Mark Ford talking about? He was talking about their work ethic: take away the motivation for their work and look at their activity. All day, every day, junkies hustle, beg, swindle, deal and talk their way into getting their hands on money.

It’s the only way they can get their next fix. There’s no routine, no safety net, no human resources but they find a way, any way, to get what they need.

Why do we care? Because that’s the kind of relentless attitude we need to have in the world of artificial intelligence (AI). That's the general drift of a new book called Open to Work: How to Get Ahead in the Age of AI; that none of us can hide behind a job title and expect the world to stand still anymore. The AI economy is here and will only become more disruptive.

The coauthors of Open to Work are the chief executive of LinkedIn, Ryan Roslansky, and chief economic opportunity officer, Aneesh Raman. They ought to know a lot about the future of work. The good news is that together, they’re presenting a positive message. AI will obliterate formulaic tasks, while human qualities come to the fore. But... we're all going to have to hustle to stay ahead of the changes.

Goodbye to the past