The AI Revolution: When 'Just Be Better' Isn't Enough
The recent comments from Fiverr’s CEO about AI coming for everyone’s jobs hit particularly close to home. Sitting here in my home office, surrounded by multiple monitors displaying various development environments and chat windows, I’ve been watching the rapid progression of AI capabilities with a mix of fascination and unease.
Let’s be real - telling workers to “just be better” in the face of AI automation is like suggesting someone outrun a Ferrari. It’s not just unhelpful; it’s fundamentally missing the point. This isn’t about individual performance anymore. We’re witnessing a seismic shift in how work itself functions.
Working in tech, I’ve already seen how AI is transforming tasks that used to take hours into mere minutes. What started with simple code completion has evolved into AI systems that can scaffold entire applications. The productivity gains are undeniable, but they come with a sobering reality - we’re rapidly approaching a point where many traditional tech roles won’t need human hands at all.
The standard corporate response of “just upskill” feels particularly hollow now. Sure, I’ve spent countless evenings learning new frameworks and technologies throughout my career, but this is different. We’re not just talking about learning a new programming language or development methodology - we’re facing the prospect of AI systems that can learn and adapt faster than any human possibly could.
The more pressing question isn’t about individual adaptation; it’s about systemic change. How do we restructure our economy when automation begins displacing workers at an unprecedented scale? The concept of Universal Basic Income (UBI) keeps surfacing in discussions, but implementing such a system would require a fundamental shift in how we think about work, value, and social support.
Many of my colleagues brush off these concerns, confident that their specialized skills will keep them employed. But watching how quickly AI capabilities are evolving, I’m not so sure. Even senior roles aren’t immune - if anything, they might be easier to automate since their work often involves pattern recognition and decision-making, areas where AI excels.
The solution isn’t going to come from individual workers trying to outcompete AI systems. It needs to come from meaningful policy changes and a complete rethinking of how we structure our society. We need to start having serious discussions about wealth distribution, worker protections, and yes, even UBI, before we find ourselves in a crisis.
The technology isn’t going to wait for us to figure this out. While our political systems move at a glacial pace, AI capabilities are advancing exponentially. We can’t afford to wait until mass displacement becomes a reality before we start planning for this transition.
The choices we make now will determine whether AI automation leads to a more equitable society or exacerbates existing inequalities. It’s time to move beyond simplistic “be better” narratives and start having real conversations about systemic solutions. Our future depends on it.