Is it 'passion' rather than 'jobs' that AI has taken away?

In recent years, when people talk about AI,

"AI will take away jobs"

is a topic that often comes up. However, some point out that there may be something being lost even before the jobs themselves.

That is "passion."

What does this mean?

People do not strive solely for the sake of results

For example, there are people who draw. Of course, they want people to see the finished painting. However, for many people, it is not just the finished product that has value.

The time spent on trial and error.

The joy of improving one's skills.

The sense of accomplishment from finishing something through hard work.

There is meaning in that process itself.

Composing music is the same.

Writing is the same.

Programming is the same.

Humans are not just seeking results. They also find value in the process leading to those results.

AI short-circuits the process

The characteristic of AI is that it finishes in seconds processes that used to take hours or days.

Drawing an illustration.

Creating a song.

Writing a novel.

Writing programs.

Creating project proposals.

Tasks that used to require a vast amount of time can now take shape in an instant. This is extremely convenient. However, at the same time,

the experience of 'creating through struggle'

is also lost. For example, a person transported to a mountain summit by helicopter and someone who climbed it on their own will feel differently even when looking at the same view.

Creation by AI has aspects similar to that.

Humans value growth more than results

In fact, humans sometimes find more joy in

'becoming able to do something myself'

than in the finished product itself.

I was able to draw a picture I couldn't draw yesterday.

I was able to play a song I couldn't play yesterday.

I was able to write a sentence I couldn't write yesterday.

There is self-growth in that. However, when AI does it for us, we get the result but not the sense of growth. Because of this,

'feeling unfulfilled despite things becoming more convenient'

can sometimes arise.

The 'meaning of doing it yourself' is shaken

Before AI appeared,

people who were good at drawing,

people who could compose music.

People who can write.

People who can create programs.

Such abilities were once objects of respect. However, now that AI can produce similar results in seconds,

'What was the point of all the years I spent working hard?'

Some people are starting to feel this way. The problem is not just losing jobs. It is that the very reason for putting in the effort is being shaken.

The joy of creation is born from 'doing what no one else can'

Human passion is sometimes tied to scarcity. For example,

'Only I can draw this'

'Only I can write this'

'Only I can make this'

This is the feeling. But when AI begins mass production, that scarcity fades. Then,

'I no longer understand the point of trying'

Some people are starting to feel this. This is not about having their jobs taken away. It is a state where the source of their passion is being shaken.

There is also a view that AI did not steal passion, but rather exposed it

On the other hand, there is another perspective. If passion disappears the moment AI appears, one might wonder if that passion was truly for creation. For example,

'I love drawing'

Suppose someone who said this stops drawing as soon as AI appears. Then, what they truly loved might not have been drawing, but rather,

'Being valued as someone who can draw'

This is a somewhat harsh view, but it has some truth to it. AI is also a device that reveals human motivations.

What is actually being lost is the 'reason to take on challenges'

Perhaps what is most affected by AI is not the work itself, but

the narrative that "if I work hard, I can do it too."

In the past, there was a flow of

practice,

make an effort,

improve,

and be recognized.

But now, AI produces a finished product before you even try. As a result, the meaning of the challenge itself becomes harder to see. This is where the loss of passion lies.

However, humanity has experienced the same thing many times.

Interestingly, similar events have occurred many times throughout history. When the camera appeared, it was said that

"painters are finished."

When the calculator appeared, it was said that

"mental arithmetic skills will become unnecessary."

When DTM became widespread, it was said that

"playing musical instruments is finished."

But in reality, they did not disappear. This is because humans are not creatures that only seek results.

There are people who paint even though photography exists.

There are people who study mathematics even though calculators exist.

There are people who cook even though ready-made products exist.

This is because there is value in enjoying the process.

Conclusion

The claim that 'AI has stolen not our jobs, but our passion' contains a grain of truth. AI does not just directly take away human jobs; it forces us to rethink:

'the meaning of effort'

'the meaning of improvement'

'the meaning of taking on challenges'

Because of this, the sense of loss many people feel is not just about financial anxiety. It is a sense of loss stemming from the wavering value of what they have built and the meaning of the goals they have pursued. However, this does not necessarily mean the end of passion. Rather, the age of AI may be an era that forces each individual to confront the question:

'Was I doing this for the results?'

or

'Did I love the act itself?'

it might be an era that forces this question upon every human being.

It can be said that this is quite an ironic phenomenon.

This is because, even though AI originally appeared as 'technology to help humans,' those who receive the greatest benefits are not necessarily the people who loved that field. Rather,

'those who only cared about getting the results'

may sometimes receive greater benefits. On the other hand,

'those who loved the process'

People are prone to harboring complex emotions.

AI makes results overwhelmingly cheaper.

For example, suppose there is someone who wants to draw. Here are two people. One is a person who

wants to turn their own image into a picture.

The other is a person who

loves the act of drawing itself.

When AI appears, the first person is overjoyed. Because they can give shape to their image in seconds without practicing for years. However, the second person is a little different. What that person enjoyed was not just the finished product, but

• drawing lines

• thinking about composition

• failing

• improving

AI gives us the finished product. But it does not give us the process.

AI maximizes the 'joy of having' rather than the 'joy of creating'.

There are two main types of human desires. One is the desire to

obtain something.

The other is the desire to

create something.

AI is very strong at the former.

The image you want.

The text you want.

Music you want.

Programs you want.

It gives you these in an instant. However, it is not necessarily strong at the latter. This is because,

"creating"

is something it performs on your behalf. In other words, AI is a paradise for those who want creative works, but it becomes a complicated existence for those who love the act of creation itself.

The fact that effort becomes unnecessary is not a benefit to those who love effort.

Generally,

"less hardship equals a good thing"

is how it is thought of. However, this is not necessarily true for humans. Take mountain climbing, for example. What if a machine were created that could teleport you to the summit in an instant? People who only want to see the view would be happy. But people who love mountain climbing would feel,

"that's not it."

The reason is that what they loved was not the summit, but the climb itself. The same structure exists in AI-assisted creation.

What is interesting is that it used to be the opposite.

In the world before AI, those who only wanted the results were at a disadvantage. For example,

cannot draw pictures.

cannot compose music.

cannot write novels.

Such people could not give shape to what was in their heads. On the other hand,

people who could enjoy the process were strong.

Because they could continue to practice.

Because they could put in years of effort.

As a result, we were able to acquire skills. However, AI has flipped this structure upside down. Now, even those who do not enjoy the process can obtain the results. Therefore, those who were once at a disadvantage are benefiting the most from AI.

Actually, sports are the only thing that cannot be replaced.

What is interesting when considering this topic is sports. For example, even if something like a marathon AI existed, there is no point in having it run in your place. The same goes for strength training.

Even if you have it lift 100kg for you, your own muscles will not grow. In other words, in sports, the process has more value than the result from the very beginning. That is why it is difficult for AI to intervene.

However, creative work is different. Because a 'deliverable' in the form of a creative work exists, AI can reach that point directly.

For the first time, humanity is approaching a world where 'results can be achieved without effort'.

Throughout history, results and effort have been linked to some extent. Of course, there was talent and luck. But basically, you could not improve without effort.

However, AI is weakening the link between effort and results. As a result,

Those who wanted results will become happy.

Those who loved the process will be bewildered.

A strange phenomenon like this is occurring.

However, those who love the process will ultimately remain.

Interestingly, there is a possibility that this will reverse in the long term. People who only wanted results are finished once they obtain them.

But people who love the process will continue.

People who love drawing will keep drawing.

People who love musical instruments will keep playing.

People who love programming will keep writing code.

This is because, for those people, it is not just the finished product that has value. No matter how much AI develops,

'the desire to do the thing itself'

cannot be replaced.

Conclusion

It is a highly ironic phenomenon that the benefits of AI are almost diametrically opposed for those who seek results and those who enjoy the process. AI was originally born as a technology to support humans. However, in reality, it has strongly rescued 'those who wanted results,' while for 'those who loved the process,' it has become an existence that forces them to question the meaning of the activities they once loved.

Therefore, it can be said that AI is not merely an efficiency tool, but a mirror that reveals whether what humans truly loved was the outcome or the process itself.

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