# Robots Will Force Us to Care By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2023-01-17 How many people do you think really care about the work they are doing? Conservatively, I think it's less than 50%. In all likelihood, it's closer to 5%. However, most people will not admit it as they are not truly free to do so. There are two ways to remedy this situation. The first is to say that caring about your work isn't important. Sure, studies show that employee engagement (e.g. caring) is an indicator of higher performance, but perhaps it's too much to ask everyone to care, or maybe your company is just suffering in a candy-coated shell. Just shut up, smile, do your job, and be miserable 8-10 hours a day - at least you have the weekend to do whatever you like. The other path is to make work something worth giving a shit about. We are quickly approaching the technological capability where work could actually become something worth caring about again. Robots and machines will soon be able to do many jobs that no one cares about. While most people focus on the labor crisis this may create, it's worth considering if this is the opportunity to find new jobs and markets that reward caring, solidarity, and being human. Industrial economies want robots, not humans. I want to be a human, not a robot. When we are forced by economic systems to be humans again, what will we care about? If you think we are in an existential crisis now, just wait. #### Related Items [[Robots]] [[Systems Thinking]] [[Organizational Analytics]] [[Economics]] [[Solidarity]] [[Society]]