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Week 2 — If Work Hours Decrease, What Replaces Work as Identity?

  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...

Week 1 — What Is Work Really For in the Age of AI?

 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...

Raising Total People in the AI Era: Education Beyond Efficiency

  In a world where artificial intelligence can calculate faster, write quicker, and analyze deeper than humans, what is the purpose of education? Is it to create high achievers or responsible citizens? The answer lies in producing  total people  — individuals who think critically, act responsibly, and contribute to societal harmony. True education in the AI era goes beyond memorization and efficiency; it teaches children  how to live wisely, ethically, and meaningfully , guided by family, schools, and community. We are entering a world transformed by artificial intelligence. Machines now calculate faster, analyze deeper, and write more efficiently than most humans. Many, including Elon Musk , warn that AI will outperform people in many tasks. But the purpose of education is not to compete with machines. The purpose is to cultivate total people — human beings who are competent, responsible, and capable of contributing to societal harmony. A total person combines: ...
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