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A dystopian view of work

 I have written a bit here, but perhaps it calls for a slightly longer post. Recently, I was at a panel discussion and the question of future of work came up. While the other panelists gave a typical view of work, as the last speaker, I was tempted to bring in a different point of view (because why have a panel where everybody is saying the same thing). 

So, I shared this dystopian view of work. 

In the future, work will happen via long mails, slack (or any other messenger) conversations. The great integration of all communication will happen. And not because of anyone else - because of AI. And you will have a situation where emails are talking to each other via co-pilots, documents are being reviewd, feedback is being taken and given, it is being incorporated. The net result is that work is happening in the background. And none of these co-pilot owners talk to other - atleast not with the articulation and empathy of a human conversation. 

In that case, why do we need humans? Or so many humans? When much of the work can be automated, companies will do it one way or other. 

They might decide to enable AI co-pilots for their top performers who can then focus on the real work. Or top management gets AI and suddenly the response rate for the mails sent to them goes up significantly. 

Think about it. Developing thought. 

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