It is believed that AI will eliminate millions of jobs in the coming decades. Most of these jobs are likely to be information or desk jobs. These are the ones that got created in the past couple of hundred years. Before we continue, let us look at some of the theories of longevity of professions:
As per Nassim Taleb defined Lindy Effect, for non-perishable things (ideas, technologies, professions), future life expectancy is proportional to current age. For example, if a practice has survived for 1,000 years, you should expect it to survive another 1,000 years. If it’s only been around for 70 years, its expected remaining lifespan is about 70 years. AI will drastically reduce the remaining lifespan of many jobs. Again as per Taleb, technology doesn't usually eliminate a human function; instead, it strips away the fragile, artificial parts of a job and forces the role back to its most ancient, Lindy core. So, in many desk or information based roles, the bulk of the jobs would be eliminated by AI. AI will absorb the jobs of mechanics (the modern, brittle tools invented in the last 50 years) and leaves behind the human relationships, judgment, and responsibility (the ancient practices that have existed for millennia).
What does this mean for the identity of people?
There are classes of people whose identity relies on their profession, social status or educational qualification. These are acquired identities as against the collective identities of clan, caste or religion. There are thousands of traditional professions that will be unaffected by AI - like farmers, cooks, artisans, mason, weavers etc. They are dependent on inherited skills and some training in the traditional sense. They don't depend on a college degree or clerical training for their identity or purpose.
The problem arises for the class of people who hoped to establish their identity based on an educational qualification or an information related job. Identity crisis and lack of purpose in life will hit them soon. I guess those in the age group of 18 - 40 are vulnerable. (For those over 40, there is a known crisis - the midlife one.) They may not struggle in material poverty but there will be poverty of purpose - no respectable job or useful qualification as a crutch of identity.
Absence of material poverty and purpose in life is a heady combination for vices. Punjab saw it. Those who can do only physical labor got more free time because of machines like tractors. Fertilizer subsidy and guaranteed market price ensured financial well-being. When there is nothing to do and there is money and free-time, there is room for entertainment. If the culture hadn't cultivated disciplined entertainment, even that entertainment doesn't demand or fulfill. The lack of fulfillment led to major socioeconomic and political problems like drug abuse and separatism.
If you are in the age group of 18 - 40 and look for an identity with a qualification or a job, there is a need to prepare yourself to avoid being wasted. Learn a skill that AI can't replace. Take up physical work like dusting, sweeping and cleaning at home. Extend it a bit outside of your homes too. If you can, learn the skills of cooking, gardening etc. Be involved and look for satisfaction in completing a task.
The problem arises for the middle class whose entire identity was built on an information-era degree or a corporate desk job. For them, the coming shift won't just bring financial friction—it will bring a poverty of purpose. When society strips away the status of white-collar credentials, we risk a crisis of meaning, where free time and psychological displacement fuel widespread cynicism and vice.
To survive this transition, those in the vulnerable 18–40 age bracket must decouple their self-worth from fragile modern titles. The path forward lies in grounding oneself in Lindy-proof realities: mastering tangible, physical skills, cultivating real-world craftsmanship, and finding dignity in active responsibility—whether in our homes, our communities, or human-centered crafts that no algorithm can emulate.
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