What Does It Mean To Be "Human" in The Age of Machines?

Ever since “work” existed humans have found pleasure and enjoyment in devoting time and energy into the craft of their choice. Though today we are facing an important crisis of engagement at work, the bottom line remains: people enjoy the act of “working”.

The act of “work “ or “working” is a way to express one’s capacities and realize one’s potential by deliberately contributing to achieve outcomes that matter to us and also to a group larger than us. Through work we feel a high of level of certainty that we can become useful members of society that contribute to the happiness of the whole. Without work, depression, stress, frustration, desperation, suicide set in replacing the wondrous benefits of “working”.

The phenomenon of technological advancement goes hand in hand with the act of working.

Throughout our human history we have invented tools and technology to make us better at work. We always say that these tools and technology were created to improve efficiency and performance and increase productivity, but all of that seems to take the human element out of the work equation.

In reality, those tools and technology were invented to amplify human capacities beyond our physical and cognitive limitations. This amplification of our capacities has helped us engage with work in more meaningful and powerful ways. We have always wanted to become better at work. And technology has helped us in that.

In a way, for the first twelve thousand years since the agricultural revolution, technology has taken away some “work burden” from us and makes us more human by helping us focus on real “human work”. It is a paradox. We have worked in creating tools and technology that help us work better and differently. More humanely if you will.

Work and the evolution of humanity also go hand in hand. Humanity wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for work. Humans thrive because they can work. We find meaning, happiness, love, realization in performing the act of work. We have infrastructure, art, science, discoveries, innovation, organizations, all because we have decided to work.

While “work” continually evolves over time and we always lost industries, organizations and jobs, while creating new ones, there has never been an instance in which humans were at risk of losing the act of  “work”. We have lost jobs and created new ones, but “work” has always been there, abundantly.

Today things are different.

We have created and continue to create technology that is capable of replacing us and our humanity in ways that we never envisioned before. Some technology, particularly artificial intelligence, has the power not only to amplify our physical and cognitive capacities, just like previous technology, but it has the dangerous power to replace us altogether.

While I love and feel deeply connected with the advancements in technology, and while I believe in the promise that the end of result of a period of fast technological advancement is better than any current state, I have an increasing fear that the transition from our current social, political, economic and organizational contracts to something new will be extremely painful and disruptive for a large, unfathomable number of people around the world.

We have always known what it means to be human, because the fabric and foundation of humanity was never questioned before, except for a few critical times in history such as the world wars. But today, because of the radical impact of technology in society, we must ask ourselves: what does it really mean to be human, when being human means finding meaning in the act of work, but the act of work is being transformed by technology?

This question was inspired as I was reading the book “AI Superpowers” by Kai-Fu Lee. Mr. Lee asked the same question in his book. While he wandered around some of the things that have happened in his life, he came to the conclusion that it is love, empathy, social interactions and relationships what make us truly human. Mr. Lee (and many others) says that it is that, love, what should become the focus of humanity as we transition to an era where machines will continue to do much better, faster, cheaper and more effective the work that was originally designed for humans.

To me, the question remains unanswered as I analyze the interconnectedness between being human and work… what does it really mean to be human, when being human means finding meaning in the act of work, but the act of work is being transformed by technology?

I don’t have the answer. It is an extremely complex question that we have put off for many years.

I know this, though: we are in a sharp, extraordinary and decisive inflection point in our history. We have to make deep, wide and fast decisions to rethink and redesign the role of humans in this new world where technology is replacing us, not only as an amplifier of our physical and cognitive abilities, but in many roles that we considered to be human strongholds.

While I agree with Mr. Lee, and many others, who think that technology is amplifying our capacities, destroying and building jobs, to help us focus on what’s ultimately human, I don’t envision a society where everyone has the role of “Chief Love Officer” or “Chief Empathy Officer”. Some people will become empathy experts, love ambassadors, community builders, human-technology therapists. But that won’t happen for the 30-50% of the workforce that will potentially be replaced by automation over the next ten years.

It seems too easy to say that just by focusing on what’s intrinsically human will be able to survive the times of accelerated technological transformation. I think it is actually irresponsible to only think so, because it removes our protagonist role from the conversation of what it means to be human in the age of machines and how we are going to survive and thrive in the transition between our current model of economy, politics and society, the new models that we will have to design or will be forced upon us.  

To me there is dramatic sense of urgency to have this important conversation. Work has always been our outlet for creativity, meaning, love, self-realization, growth, development, enjoyment. And if work is disrupted in ways we can’t comprehend, our own humanity is equally disrupted. And we are not prepared for such kind of disruption unless we can rethink our role and our meaning as humans in this new world and the era of the machines. 

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About the Enrique Rubio:

Enrique is a speaker, futurist, HR and Tech expert, and founder of the global learning community Hacking HR. Enrique came to the United States from Venezuela as a Fulbright Scholar. Prior to coming to the US, Enrique was the CEO at Management Consultants, a firmed specialized in Human Resources and Corporate Social Responsibility in Venezuela. Before Management Consultants, Enrique worked in the telecommunications sector as a Senior Project Engineer for Telefonica. His last job post was as an advisor of the CHRO at the Inter-American Development Bank. Enrique is also the cofounder of Cotopaxi, an technology-based recruitment platform focused on Latin America and the Caribbean. Enrique is a guest author in several blogs about innovation, management and human resources. He has over twenty years of experience. Enrique holds an Electronic Engineering from Simon Bolivar University in Venezuela and an Executive Master’s in Public Administration from Maxwell School in Syracuse, New York. Enrique also holds a Design Thinking certification from Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, he is certified Scrum Master and PMP.