The future of work in a GenAI era

GenAI is eroding the value of routine knowledge work. The future will reward those who can frame purpose, build trust, and apply technology with empathy

- VIVEK AGARWAL

LASTWEEK, BILL Gates predicted advances in artificial intelligence (AI) could shrink the work week to just two days within a decade. Nearly a century ago, economist John Maynard Keynes envisioned a three-hour workday. History is filled with such bold forecasts. Each technological revolution, from the steam engine to the internet, has changed how we work, stirred fears of job loss, and ultimately created new opportunities. As generative AI (GenAI) enters the mainstream, we must ask: Will this time be different? Which jobs will matter, and what happens to the job count?

Muscle, machine, mind, and meta-mind Before the industrial era, muscle power drove the economy. Farming, blacksmithing, and craftsmanship relied on physical strength. Economic value came from manual labour. The Industrial Revolution replaced muscle with machines. Steam engines and assembly lines shifted the emphasis from strength to technical skills. People adapted, learning to manage machines rather than outmuscling them.

Post-World War II, economies moved from manufacturing to services. The value of work shifted to the mind. Fields like finance, consulting, and software development flourished. GenAI is ushering in another leap — from mind to meta-mind. Large language models can write, code, translate, and even create art. They draw on a vast repository of human knowledge, automating tasks once thought immune to machines. Just as the steam engine devalued physical labour, GenAI is eroding the value of routine knowledge work.