I just read an article claiming that artificial intelligence is advancing so quickly that it could put half the population out of work within five years. I don’t know if that number is right. But the broader point feels hard to deny: AI is improving at a pace faster than people and institutions can adjust.

So what happens in a world where AI can do most people’s jobs?

The obvious fear is economic. If machines do the work, how will people pay rent, buy food, and live with dignity? The transition could be harsh. Entire industries may shrink quickly, and many people will feel displaced, unneeded, and left behind.

Still, I’m not convinced the economic question will be the deepest one in the long run. If AI genuinely increases productivity, it should also increase abundance. Over a five- to ten-year horizon, societies will likely stumble toward workable safety nets and new norms of material support. It won’t be simple or painless, but it’s a solvable class of problem.

The deeper problems that will prevent human happiness are psychological and spiritual.

First: jealousy. Even if everyone’s basic needs are met, people don’t experience life only through absolute comfort. We experience it comparatively. A society can provide a high baseline and still produce resentment if some retain vastly more status, wealth, and influence while others are merely “provided for.” We’ve made astonishing progress in science and technology. We haven’t made comparable progress in mastering envy.

Second: meaning. Work has never been only about money. It structures time, provides identity, and offers a sense of usefulness. If millions wake up to a world that no longer needs their labor, what fills the day? Entertainment can swallow hours, but it doesn’t nourish the soul.

So what’s the alternative?

One answer is to redirect energy toward learning and inner development: Torah, science, psychology, philosophy, and the broader pursuit of understanding. Serious learning doesn’t merely teach us facts; it builds our personalities. Will knowledge automatically cure jealousy? No. But it can cultivate the ethical maturity that makes jealousy less dominant, and allows us to be happy with what we have.

More importantly, learning offers meaning that doesn’t depend on being economically “necessary.” AI can generate and analyze, but it can’t become you. It can’t build your character. It can’t discover God from science for you. 

However intelligent AI gets, the great truth about human existence stands firm. You still only get one soul and one life, and developing your inner world will always be of ultimate value.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)