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  For more than a century, one simple question shaped adult identity: “What do you do?” We rarely answered with who we are. We answered with our job title. Engineer. Accountant. Manager. Nurse. Business owner. Work was not just income. It was structure. Status. Social value. Self-definition. But as artificial intelligence accelerates automation, something deeper than job displacement is happening. Work hours are shrinking. Tasks are being compressed. Productivity is rising without proportional human effort. So the real question becomes: If work occupies less of our lives — what replaces it as identity? The Industrial Model of Identity The modern idea of identity was shaped during the Industrial Age. In cities like Detroit , output defined worth. Factory shifts, measurable production, long tenure at one company — these created predictable identity structures. Later, corporations such as IBM reinforced this model: climb the ladder, earn promotions, accumulate titles...

 Welcome to the first week of my new series! Each week, I’ll share my thoughts and reflections on how AI is changing the way we work, learn, and live—hoping it sparks ideas for you, just as the journey keeps me curious every day.  When people talk about artificial intelligence replacing jobs, the conversation usually begins with fear. Will machines take our work? Will income disappear? Will society become unstable? But before we ask whether AI will replace jobs, we must ask a deeper question: What is work really for? For most of human history, work has never been only about money. It has served at least four essential purposes. 1️⃣ Work Provides Income This is the most obvious function. Work feeds families, provides shelter, and ensures survival. If AI reduces jobs, the immediate concern is economic displacement. That is why policies like universal basic income are discussed — to stabilize society during transition. Income matters. Stability matters. But income is not the whol...