David Graeber's book Bullshit Jobs talks about how our modern economy creates a massive amount of pointless roles - jobs that exist just to tick boxes, "duct-tape" broken processes, or serve as status symbols to make bosses look important.
I don't agree with everything Graeber says. I'm not against capitalism; in fact, I'm an advocate of it. But I am highly anti-theater.
The problem isn't that markets are working too well; it's that dubious incentives create red tape. When we reward headcount, meetings, and slide decks, we get more of them. When incentives are misaligned, people end up playing to metrics rather than solving real problems.
I see this even in my life as a student. It is why I rarely attend non-compulsory lectures.
This isn't about laziness (well, maybe a little) - in fact, it's the opposite.
In theoretical lectures, professors often just read off the slides. In tutorials, we might get through two exercises in two hours in a classroom setting. At home, I can read the slides or do the exercises much faster, plus I have the opportunity to pause to translate terms, look up concepts, or just go deeper on a topic I don't understand.
In that case, going to class just for the sake of attendance is a poor trade-off. It's "seat time" disguised as learning. I prefer the freedom to choose my own method and be judged on the outcome rather than the ritual of just being present.
I do understand that some people need the structure of the classroom, and that is perfectly fine. But for people who prioritize efficiency, that ritual feels like a waste.
This brings me to AI.
Large Language Models have made paperwork, coordination, and basic analysis almost free. This presents us with a choice:
- Automated Theater: We keep the same useless rituals, but we just do them faster.
- Subtracting the Theater: We delete the low-value tasks and use that free time for real work.
AI won't choose for us - incentives will.
Additionally, if I were a hiring manager today, why would I hire a fresh bachelor's graduate when I can do the same work with an LLM for free?
If your value proposition is just formatting, summarizing, and forwarding emails, AI is your cheapest and most efficient rival. However, if your day consists of deciding, building, and serving, AI becomes your best tool.
History tells us that technology rarely destroys jobs entirely; it reshuffles tasks within them. The danger isn't the technology itself; the danger is keeping the old rituals and calling it productivity.
Most future jobs are going to be managerial in nature - even at the entry level. It won't be about doing the busywork; it will be about managing the AI that does the busywork. So what survives?
- Judgment
- Trust
- Fixing root causes
- Being accountable for results
Markets are harsh. When a product is useless, it eventually dies. But we shouldn't wait for a recession to force companies to acknowledge that.
We need to create a system where fairness and stability exist alongside this new, leaner productivity. This is where concepts like Universal Basic Income might become necessary. If we are going to automate away the "bullshit jobs," we need a safety net that allows people to retrain and move up the value chain without falling into poverty.
Graeber warned us about meaningless work. AI is a lever. We can pull it the lazy way and just generate faster nonsense; or we can pull it with intent - and free people up for work that actually matters.