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PrefaceIn his 1952 novel, Player Piano, Kurt Vonnegut imagined a world where factories are run by robots and most people are unemployed and destitute. His novel posed important questions: What happens when robots take over human jobs? What do the unemployed humans do for work? How does the economy function if people without jobs can’t afford to buy the products produced by robots? And most important: Is this the kind of world we want to live in? As a 12-year-old science fiction buff, I read Player Piano with great interest. It was the first sci-fi novel I’d read that talked about economics, and it left a big impression on me. Its dystopian prophecy seemed plausible because companies have a compelling incentive to get rid of workers and automate their operations. I realize now, however, that Vonnegut’s book didn’t go far enough. He only imagined the automation of manufacturing. He didn’t predict a world where everything is automated — not just low-level manufacturing jobs but every kind of work, even the most advanced jobs. He didn’t foresee the global internet, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, big data, machine learning algorithms, or the blockchain. He didn’t predict a world where even the owners of factories can be disrupted and thrown into the street. But that’s the possible world emerging today. We live in an age where the piano doesn’t need a player or a songwriter or even an audience. It’s a world where the pianos manufacture themselves and then play their own compositions for one another. No humans necessary. It’s also a world where any company, organization, or institution can be displaced in a nanoflash. It’s not simply a matter of taking an old business and adding robots to it. The core value proposition and competitive advantage of every old-style business could be upended by new kinds of fast-emerging competitors, disruptive technology, and topsy-turvy marketplace dynamics. It’s also a world that changes quickly. As the primary means of production shifts from a linear assembly-line structure to a networked value-hub configuration (see my book The New Factory Thinker), we’re witnessing a concurrent realignment of the political and cultural composition of our society. New forms of political organizations, new types of money, and new ways of living are coming. Everything will change, and we need to be ready to deal with these changes. Unfortunately, not everyone is awake to what’s happening. Since the release of The New Factory Thinker, I’ve given hundreds of speeches about the New Economy. From this experience, I’ve noticed that people relate to this subject in three distinct ways. About 10 percent of the people I meet are enthusiastic about the topic. They’re excited about the future. They’re eager to create a New Economy business or career. Sixty percent are zoned out. They think the New Economy and technology like artificial intelligence and the blockchain won’t affect them. The remaining 30 percent are angry. They’re threatened by the New Economy and sometimes blame me for broaching the subject. I’ve had numerous people hurl insults at me and then stomp out of my speeches. (Don’t worry; I’m used to it.) After speaking to more than 20,000 people at live events, I’ve concluded that 90 percent of the population isn’t prepared for what’s coming. They’re either oblivious to their predicament or angry about it and have no plan for the future. This cohort includes political leaders. Just a handful appreciate the massive shift that’s taking place, a shift that will render obsolete most of the jobs humans hold today. Most of these disrupted people will be thrown into the street with nothing to do (as in Player Piano). Others will find something new to do. Sadly, few of our leaders are thinking about what these new “jobs” might be. One suggestion is a minimum monthly income. The idea is to tax companies that use robots and then give the proceeds to the “disrupted.” And while it sounds well intentioned and might be a temporary fix, I think the idea is misguided. One, the companies targeted by the tax will figure out a way to avoid it. It will also be hard to determine which robots to tax. Can an algorithm or a quantum computer processor on the cloud be taxed? Imagine the endless negotiations. But more importantly, the minimum-income idea is a lazy answer to what I call “The Player Piano Problem.” Better to figure out new kinds of work for people to do rather than simply pay them not to work. I believe most people want and need meaningful employment. The challenges we face are daunting but not unprecedented. At the beginning of the 20th century, most people worked in agriculture. Today, only a small percentage of people work on farms. A century ago, our ancestors would have been dumbfounded had they known that people in the future would work as app designers, social media managers, mindfulness teachers, or Airbnb hosts. Not to mention system engineers, data analysts, theme park entertainers, or virtual world designers. People back then thought the end of farm jobs meant the end of good jobs. The exact opposite happened. The fact is that new technology and its impact can be painful for the people being disrupted. But the New Economy will also bring forth new opportunities for wonderful and previously unimaginable work. Mark my words, in the New Economy, people will make money in ways we can’t fathom right now. Our kids will have careers we won’t understand. (My mother-in-law doesn’t have a clue what I do. When told I run The BIG Idea Company, she looks perplexed and horrified. Lawyer or accountant is a more acceptable son-in- law occupation.) To succeed in the New Economy, we need to learn how to “dance” with robots. We won’t be able to beat them, and we can’t ignore them. We need to learn how to embrace and dance gracefully with them — to create something beautiful together. So let’s take some dance lessons. First, I prognosticate two future scenarios — a bright future and a dark future — so we all recognize the stakes involved. Then, I explore the Five Human Superpowers we can bring to the dance:
- Embodied Pattern Recognition
- Unbridled Curiosity
- Purpose-Driven Ideation
- Ethical Framing
- Metaphoric Communication
Next, I outline The 29 Strategies for Success in the Age of AI and Automation. These principles give you a roadmap to confidently navigate this new reality. For example, we look at the core incentive driving the New Economy (Strategy No. 1: Increase Well-Being Using Fewer Resources) in contrast to the core incentive that drove the old economy (more consumption equals happiness). Strategy No. 1 makes the case that old deeply conditioned patterns of thinking are the biggest roadblocks to success in the New Economy and then provides alternative ways of thinking that are more effective. Then a powerful step-by-step method for dancing with robots is delineated, a method that provides a path to follow that’s future-proof, scalable, and uplifting. It empowers us to bring all our heart and soul into our lives and work and is based on The BIG Idea Adventure, my coaching program. Humans are interesting creatures. On the one hand, we’re quite good at living in delusion. We can blindly ignore impending catastrophes until they hit us square in the face. On the other hand, we’re incredible at confronting challenges once the battle is upon us. My mission is to wake people up to “The Player Piano Problem” and help them dance to a new tune, one they write and perform themselves (with a little help from robots). Ready to join the dance? If so, let the music begin.
