Source : THE AGE NEWS
February 19, 2026 — 7:55pm
” Some significant event is taking place.” That was the ominous title of a 5000-word writing that hurriedly racked up the internet last year.
We are grossly underestimating the destructive effect it’s possible to have on almost every aspect of society, according to a breathless warning from Matt Shumer.
The essay unquestionably captured the zeitgeist, despite being biased ( Shumer is the CEO of an AI company ) and frequently hyperbolic. Within a year, the article had been read more than 83 million times, demonstrating how prevalent the concern and interest are in this novel systems, which is developing more quickly than we can keep up with it.
There was one big problem that it didn’t answer despite all the hype and panic. As I scrolled past the article that was published on Elon Musk’s X to the next article beneath it, this became obvious.
The poster reads,” I only watched my Mac end a 4-hour workweek in 90 moments,” along with a frantic video demonstrating a new AI item. Because it appears that even typing is one of the tasks it wants to get rid of, it displayed a customer speaking to their computer.
AI hasn’t realized that the flawed process of creation is just as crucial because they are so focused on producing the best end product.
A speculative employee in the video receives an email from their employer asking where the document was expected that time. The worker asks their robot to come up with an excuse and immediately send an email, then asks AI to quickly read the report, automatically convert it into presentation slides, and instantly attach it with an apology to their boss.
All of this occurs without the aid of any human action or comprehension of the steps involved in creating the record that was made on their behalf.
A lone writer squabbled in the comments below the film, asking,” What’s the point of actually having a job if a device can do it in 90 minute?” They inquired. The original banner just responded,” You tell me.
Which brings us to the biggest matter: how quickly AI has advanced. Many of the recent developments don’t realize how crucial it is to create the perfect finish product because they are so focused on creating the perfect end product.
What purpose does it serve to hire AI to create a report that we are unable to comprehend? Or create an email that we are uninterested in? Or create a non-verbal cultural blog? Do we really want this, the biggest problem that not enough people are currently asking, replaces all of these?
These are sophisticated and philosophical questions about the value of labor, and whether our careers are merely about the results of our efforts or the intangible rewards of doing difficult things.
When you get rid of any of those elements, you can begin to understand the very essence of who we are as humans. Job provides us with structure, identity, a purpose, connection, and financial security.
Although I use AI most time and have incorporated some of its abilities into my study and procedures, it still leaves me with purple lines in areas I don’t want to use it in.
The way in which AI is moving is one that will gradually eliminate the role that humans play in any kind of work. Do we actually want that?
Shumer, the creator of the popular writing, was right to say that something significant is taking place. He omitted the fact that it frequently occurs against our will, though.
We will all be dragged into a prospect that none of us are asking for if we don’t put some sort of brake on it right away, like global recommendations on development and implementation.
The innovative approach to job smarter and live healthier is the work forward book by Tim Duggan. He maintains a normal newsletter at Timduggan. substack .com
Tim Duggan is the creator of Killer Thinking, Cult Status, and Work Backwards. He co-founded Junkee Media and publishes an OUTLET regular newsletter.
