After AI Takes the Work, All That's Left Is Who You Know: Asterisk Essay
sebkrier · x · 2026-09-05
Asterisk publishes Clara Collier's essay on what people will do once AI surpasses humans at all necessary labor; Robin Hanson shares it, arguing humans never needed work or self-actualization for meaning — only a social framework for respect and belonging.
- Citing economist Alex Imas's 'relational sector' thesis: when AI does everything else, the scarce good is the human touch, and relational jobs will be allocated through relationships — who you know, not what you know.
- Collier frames this as a return to pre-industrial norms, when labor itself carried little dignity and identity came from dense social participation rather than jobs.
- Her conclusion is uneasy: the relationalists are probably right that post-AI meaning will re-anchor in human connection.
Related event: Asterisk essay reimagines life after AI takes over work(4 posts)→
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