Freedom Requires Growth

Greater freedom requires greater human development.

Artificial intelligence and robotics may eventually perform much of the work that today requires human labour.

If that happens, humanity could gain something extraordinarily valuable: time.

For centuries, much of human life has been organized around work. Work provides income, but it also often provides structure, identity, social contact, recognition and purpose.

If technology reduces the amount of necessary human labour, we should not automatically assume that people will experience this simply as liberation.

Freedom alone does not create a meaningful life.

We need to learn how to use freedom.

That means learning to understand ourselves and others better. To think independently. To deal with uncertainty. To take responsibility for our choices. To work with people who think differently from us. And to discover what gives meaning to our lives when employment is no longer necessarily at the centre of them.

Greater freedom could give people more opportunity to create, care, learn, explore, build relationships, develop their abilities and contribute to their communities.

Not because an employer requires them to do so.

But because they choose to.

The human transition

We often talk about the technological transition as though technology is the only thing that needs to change.

It isn't.

Human beings, our institutions and the way we organize society will have to develop as well.

Education, for example, may need to become less focused on preparing people for a single profession and more focused on curiosity, adaptability, creativity, collaboration and lifelong development.

Our understanding of success may also need to change.

If employment becomes less central, status and self-worth cannot continue to depend primarily on occupation and income.

Humanity Forward therefore believes that technological progress and human development must go hand in hand.

A new world cannot be built with technology alone.

It also requires people who are prepared to live freely, responsibly and meaningfully within it.