Pope Leo’s ode to human greatness, the magnificently titled document, “Magnifica Humanitas”, raises the most profoundly rattling question on everyone’s minds: in an optimisation-oriented society, what happens when we are inferior to the technologies we have created? Work, stresses the Pope, is not just about income. It is a “requirement of the human condition, a normal path toward maturity, development and personal fulfillment”. Dwelling on the future of work is depressing as we read daily that AI is diminishing opportunities not just in entry-level jobs, but altering careers in investment banking and law. And, the final scope of AI’s displacement is anybody’s guess.

Like the Pope, we have all been raised to believe diligence and perseverance is a virtue. The traditional beaten road to a successful life has been scoring well in school, college, a specialisation if you’re lucky, then a stable career for the next several decades.........

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