By Michael Kastelnik, Psy.D. — We are in the midst of large technological changes in our society. In the past, I have remarked about the ubiquity of electronics in our lives, and suggested ways to limit exposure to such technology for the sake of mental health. While the suggestion stands to aim for incorporating electronics in our lives in a healthy and balanced way, taking such steps may not prevent what is about to happen in our society and impact many aspects of our lives.
We have already been witnessing the smart phone becoming a one-stop shop for facilitating the provision of human needs short of actually feeding, clothing and sheltering people. As prevalent as this current so-called smart technology is, the next generation will most assuredly be more ubiquitous — and even invasive — such as through wearable or implanted devices. This will no doubt have implications for our attention span, health and relationships.
There is a buzz these days about the glories of artificial intelligence, or A.I. Generative A.I. will be involved in the creation of much content. As a consequence, some people may begin to accept a blending of real and imaginary images, sounds and even concepts in a sort of hyperreality, while others may become skeptical of most or everything they have come to know and believe. Assuredly, many will take for granted the access to quick answers for simple straightforward questions. But not all questions in life are simple. “How is my relationship with God these days?” or “Am I called to priesthood or marriage?” or “What is the significance of this particular suffering that God is allowing in my life?” This is where we need to remember our humanity and the gift of reason rather than depending solely on data.
Some are saying that A.I. in conjunction with robotics will take over many of the tasks that people normally do. In the best-case scenario, we are being promised a world where we don’t have to worry about the necessities of life such as manual labor but we can rather focus on activities such as leisure. As appealing as this scenario may sound, the issue of automation raises the concern about the elimination of jobs and the displacement laborers in the workforce. This could devastate many people who place a lot of significance in their work that they enjoy, by which they feed their households, in which they excel, or in which they find meaning for their lives. I am aware of St. Paul’s admonition to the Thessalonians that those who don’t work shall not eat. We must bring our Christian values to bear on a situation where many people may become unemployed or underemployed as a consequence of technological developments in society.
As human beings with infinite dignity, we all have intrinsic value that cannot be diminished regardless of our job status. That being said, while more jobs are threatened with automation and therefore elimination, there are things we can do to help ourselves. We can attempt to demonstrate our value to our bosses or to our customers by “selling ourselves” just a little better and showing just how necessary our work is and how indispensable we are. We may learn a few more skills to make our case even stronger. The adage “You get what you pay for” comes to mind, as cost efficiency is one of the selling points of A.I. and robotics. In the event that our jobs go away, we can rely on internal resources like our relationship with the Lord and tap into our own resilience such as by creatively brainstorming all of our resources, human connections and opportunities. This is your right and responsibility- — you cannot be replaced.
