The Fire: The Magic That Burns Within You

It doesn’t matter who you are, or what your background is - I’d like you to know that a fire burns within you. That fire is your individuality, your creativity and your personal vision. While in some it burns brightly with the gas turned up to ten, in others it exists as a pilot light – a dim but ever-present flame that flickers quietly beneath the surface. Regardless of its strength – it’s there. And I think it’s the most important element of you as a person, and us as a species.

Why does this flame burn more intensely in some people than it does in others? The answer to that is complex. It involves life opportunities, encouragement, personality, our individual psychological makeup and many things besides.  But, regardless of how strongly it burns, believe me – the fire exists. This article explores its importance and underlines why it is the one thing we must lean into on our journey toward a future dominated by machines.

Preserving Humanity

If you’ve read any of my content before or seen a talk I’ve provided, you will know that I’m keen to explore the future direction that technology is taking us. I want to work out how AI, automation and related tech is shaping society, to ensure that people aren’t sidelined by technology as it progresses. And I also want to demonstrate how incredible these technologies can be, along with ways they can be used to enhance pretty much everything we do.

But shedding light on the uses and impacts of tech is just one aspect of a broader goal I have set myself. The aim of Layered Future is, and always has been, to explore how we can preserve, protect and enhance our human experience in the face of technological disruption. This drive is central to my background in creativity and teaching, but it also aligns with my personal opinions on what’s at stake as we progress towards an unknown future. 

The reason I am so focused on exploring this area is simple - the human spirit is at risk in ways it hasn’t been before. We have of course encountered significant issues over the years; wars, atrocities, and political, cultural or religious differences - all of which have tested us and forced us to reflect on our actions and who we are. In addition, seismic shifts have altered societal structures over the years. The Industrial Revolution was responsible for creating a system of employment that most of us are now forced to adhere to. The Digital Revolution connected us like never before, bringing into existence powerful tools like social media and ‘big data’ that have adjusted our behaviour and realigned our thinking. 

But what we now face is different. AI poses clear dangers to personal, national and international security. It threatens to dismantle and rebuild societal frameworks; ways-of-living forged over thousands of years. In addition, the speed at which AI is evolving makes mitigating its risks very hard – just keeping up with AI developments is a full-time job. On top of this, the emergence of AI has forced nations to enter an international arms race, with the US, China and other countries clamouring to create the most powerful models to stay ahead militarily, and profit from its economic potential. We have not encountered a global challenge of this nature before, and have certainly never faced so many potential issues as a result of a single tech innovation.

While all of this is alarming, I am confident that most involved in developing AI understand the dangers that mismanaging such a powerful technology could lead to. I trust that the majority are progressing AI with at least some degree of responsibility. Even if they aren’t, the situation is out of our control. Pandora’s Box has been opened, and AI will continue to evolve and impact us exponentially. The best we can hope for is that everyone handles the development of AI in ways that, at the very least, prevent disaster.

The Employment Problem

Where we do have some control is in how AI impacts our lives as individuals. And one of the most pressing issues it raises for everyday people like you and me is its potential to impact jobs. I won’t sugar-coat it - the presence of AI means that your livelihood is in danger. This technology is likely to rapidly automate most areas of industry, meaning that human input will be required less and less. Exactly how quickly the job market will be affected is uncertain, but I would bet the next decade will see a significant reduction in workforces. Companies are already starting to shift thought-based work and manual labour from humans to machines wherever possible. And unless things suddenly slow down (which is unlikely), this transition will progress at speeds nobody is prepared for.

If we accept that AI will reduce workforces, then we must expect that everyone’s jobs are at risk in the future. Because - and this is important - AI isn’t going to be contained behind screens for much longer. Staggering progression in robotics technology (pushed forward by AI assisted research) means that intelligent tech will soon escape the confines of our smartphones and computers and be unleashed on the physical world. Humanoid and task-specific robots are being developed by companies such as Boston Dynamics, Tesla and Figure and they are making significant progress. Their mission is to create the bodies that AI will inhabit. The machine workforce that this will give rise to means that no human job will be safe. Anything from construction to nuclear science and everything in-between could (and most likely will) be carried out by AI models that exist in the digital space or by physical robots made from plastic and metal. 

I am increasingly concerned by the number of people who haven't grasped the scale of what’s coming. While most understand how AI can take on screen-based tasks such as coding and design, few realise that this is just the beginning of a much bigger plan. Mark my words - we will see robots replacing gardeners, builders, couriers and others who work in manual labour roles within the next decade or so.

A Post-employment World

What happens if AI results in significant job-losses? What if 50% of jobs become automated over the next decade? The truth is that I don’t know – nobody does. But the impact on society will be significant, and some pretty drastic measures would need to be taken to mitigate the issues it might cause. 

A reduction in jobs of this scale would obviously cause problems for individuals, but it would also impact the broader global economy. The only event in modern history we can use as a comparison is the Covid pandemic. This led to unprecedented measures being taken to protect people’s livelihoods and keep the wheels of commerce turning. As lockdowns were announced, hundreds of millions of people around the world were suddenly paid to do nothing - furloughing, as it is known. As everyone was instructed to ‘stay at home’, this approach was the only way governments could keep the engine ticking. The economy is a colossal machine, and when a significant quantity of cogs (workers) are removed, it quickly ceases to function.

Believe it or not, a similar solution is being floated to mitigate the impact that AI could have on the job market. Governments around the world have been considering the potential of paying people to do nothing if automation reaches the levels many believe it will. Behind the scenes, research is ongoing, with nations exploring permanent furloughing as a solution to reduced employment opportunities as a result of AI. How this might work is sketchy to say the least, but it is likely that the AI and the robotics industry would be nationalised or heavily taxed to enable governments to pay for what is known as Universal Basic Income or UBI. UBI is a regular payment made to everyone to cover the essentials – e.g. rent, bills and food.

Dystopia

Before you crack open the champagne and start Googling how close we are to UBI being rolled out, it’s important to examine a key problem that such measures may cause. While on the face of it, a sustainable, regular monthly amount paid to everyone for doing zilch seems appealing, when you analyse the reality, you soon start to see its flaws. And honestly? There's some deeply worrying drawbacks to everyone being paid not to work.

You see, we are complex animals who have evolved over millions of years to become the most intelligent creatures on Earth. We are a problem-solving species, driven by an insatiable lust for progress. We live to solve issues and to make things better. Humans have busy, complicated and restless minds. We must be occupied to be content.

For a moment, let’s imagine that by 2035 half of jobs in the UK have disappeared as a result of automation. To tackle the issues this causes, the government taxes AI companies 90% on their profits and uses the money to pay each of us enough for our living expenses. Although we are not rich, everybody has enough money to live comfortably.

Then what?

If we can survive without having to work, what will many of us do with our days? Drink? Probably. Over-eat? Certainly. Watch TV & play video games – without a doubt. And while all these things can be enjoyed on an evening, a weekend or during leave from employment, none would be good for our physical and mental health in the long-term. 

Some of you will disagree with my perspective. Many see employment as a means to an end, and would welcome these measures regardless of the outcome. This is a totally natural reaction – UBI would mean freedom from employment. But freedom from employment wouldn’t necessarily mean freedom from unhappiness. Having work to do gives us agency. It provides control over our destiny in ways we don’t often appreciate. Most importantly, the need to earn money to survive provides purpose; a reason to get up in the morning. 

There will be people reading this who will believe that humanity will naturally flourish when freed from the shackles of employment. They may think that we can walk calmly into this new era without concern - we will organically transition into a post-work era finding purpose without issue. I’m not so sure. I believe that contentment exists within a structure of purpose, and work is one of the main things in life that gives us that. We only need examine how the removal of work (retirement or illness) often leads to a lack of purpose and a feeling of redundancy. While some would of course flourish naturally in a world of UBI, I believe that many wouldn’t. 

Back to Covid, and the toll on mental health during just a temporary period of furloughing was – for many – devastating. Substance abuse rose, as did gambling. In fact, addiction became a much bigger issue than it usually is. Relationships fractured too – separations climbed during the Covid lockdowns. 

The point I am making is that what seems appealing on the surface isn’t always everything it’s cracked up to be. And, when you stop and take a long hard look at it - a world where humans don’t have to earn money to survive is potentially quite frightening. We have evolved to do things, not to sit idle. When we do, we find ways to lessen the pain of redundancy – alcohol, gambling, arguing, obsessing and eating more than we should. The truth is that a world without work isn’t necessarily the utopia many think it would be; it’s a potential dystopia. 

Understanding the Fire

Earlier, I used the analogy of a flame that burns within us all. This metaphor describes the intangible drive that everybody has, to make a mark on the world. Making a mark can mean many things and is expressed in different ways. Our individuality comes out through what we say and what we do, but often, it is expressed through the pursuit of our passions and interests. It is solidified in our creations – from painting a wall to painting a masterpiece. The fire within us dictates that we all need to have control – to at least some degree - over our environment and what we do. This can be seen through how we manipulate the world around us in unique ways.

For many, this fire is the catalyst that brings new life. The instinct to have children is naturally creative. Nature drives us to replicate in our own image, producing extensions of ourselves that we mould to reflect our values and perspectives. For others, hobbies stoke the embers. Curating antiques, toys, stamps or any number of objects allows us to generate a collection that expresses who we are, to the world. 

Of course, many are creative in the more traditional sense of the word – making art and music, performing or writing. This is very much my end of things – as an art & design lecturer and creative practitioner I treasure creative acts for a range of personal and professional reasons. And I genuinely believe that everybody should engage in this type of creativity throughout their lives because it’s rewarding and fulfilling. But it’s not the only way to let the fire burn . . .

The Psychology of Creativity

Back in the 2000s, I completed a master’s degree at the University of the Arts London. The programme was an MA in Graphic & Communication Design delivered at Chelsea College, and it enabled me to explore my creative practice and visual communication in depth. My research ended up focusing on the psychology of creativity – an area I became fascinated with following a period of introspection into why I felt so driven to create. Having previously graduated from a BA in Illustration, I was keen to learn more about the interplay between the practice of making visual outcomes, and the energy that drives people to create them. During my research, I explored many areas. I looked at the incredible creative outcomes produced despite disabilities, ingenious creativity-boosting methods employed by people across the ages, and the neuroscience behind creative acts. 

What I took away from this period of investigation was simple: creativity is an innate characteristic of humans that must be expressed. Even when barriers are placed in our way, creativity will emerge and result in expressions of who we are (in fact, barriers can be useful as we thrive when solving problems). Importantly, I concluded that when creativity is limited in our day to day lives, we become unhappy. I am not explicitly talking about painting, drawing, music or any of the other pursuits we most commonly associate with creativity. I am referring to any opportunities we have for personal input that allows us to make a mark on the world. 

To be clear - a creative task could be something as seemingly mundane as writing a few paragraphs for a company newsletter at work. It might even just be having the opportunity to arrange our workspace in a way that reflects who we are. The important thing is that we are allowed some freedom to express ourselves, and to let the fire burn. The opposite of this is work at the least-creative end of industrialisation – e.g. the monotony of standing on a production line for hours at a time, sorting parts into different baskets. Such employment provides limited creative input, and the repetitive nature of this kind of occupation is detrimental to us as a result.

It was a long time after completing my MA that I began visualising creativity as a fire within us. The difficulty in discussing emotions and drives is that they are inherently abstract. It’s obviously hard to visualise something as intangible as creativity. My use of fire as an analogy for creativity actually came from an unlikely source – Arnold Schwarzenegger. He describes passions and drive as being a ‘fire in the belly’, and when I heard him say this my mind linked his description with my perspective on creativity. It has since been how I visualise this energy we all have within us.

Stoking the Fire

As I said - regardless of how it is expressed, I believe we all have the fire within us. Unfortunately, it isn’t something we pay enough respect to as a society. In fact, it’s a part of us that many people rarely acknowledge even exists. And while I have long thought this to be a shame on many levels, the emergence of AI makes realising its existence the most pressing issue of our time. 

That’s because the drive the fire gives us is the very thing that leads us to alcohol, overeating and depression when we have nothing to do. It is the spark within that drives our busy minds. Were we not to have the fire burning inside, being as idle as possible would be a straightforward affair. Arguably, it might be the most logical course of action in terms of survival. We could just eat, sleep, do a bit of exercise, reproduce and that would be that. But living life in this way would drive most people insane. We exist in a world of original storytellers, talented artists, genius scientists and innovators who continually push boundaries. And that’s because they are touched by the heat of the fire; they feel it pushing them to create original things. 

The fire is that annoying itch that needs to be scratched, and when we do – cool things happen. We can silence it with a bottle of wine; an easy but destructive way to apply the handbrake on our productivity. We can distract it temporarily by bingeing a series on Netflix or playing a video game, and there’s nothing wrong with that – we all need downtime. But modern life has led us to continually employ a range of techniques to dampen the flames of our individuality and creativity, with many only allowing the fire to burn when tackling problems at work. 

And I think that this is the biggest problem we face. Not job losses caused by AI.

Rest assured that there will be economic solutions to a reduction in jobs – most likely UBI. And UBI is not, at its heart, a bad idea. It would provide a base level of equality and ensure that nobody goes without. The problem exists in the potential for a society of humans with nothing to do – this is the negative consequence of a universal basic income. But I think there might be a solution to that too.

Building a Utopia

I believe we need to start preparing for a future where machines dominate the working landscape - doing most of the things that we need to do right now. It may sound like science fiction, but in my mind, it is the only plausible outcome of the future we are building. The rate at which AI is progressing is astounding, and the speed it is advancing related technologies, such as robotics, is jaw-dropping. AI is forcing us away from the familiar pathway of technological evolution into a greatly accelerated timeline of progression. Preparing for swift, significant changes to the natural order of things is the only sensible reaction. 

But how do we head towards an AI utopia instead of an AI dystopia? What can we do to ensure that we do not find ourselves in the midst of a mental health crisis, with addiction and obesity spiraling out of control? The only solution I see is for us to reassess what it means to be human, and reprogram our minds to view the concept of work in an entirely different way. 

In a future where machines bear the brunt of production and output, we face the risk of becoming redundant. In this world, humans would no longer need to do very much at all. In our early lives, we were all looked after by adults; human babies cannot fend for themselves. During this time, we had our needs met and didn’t need to earn money to eat, clean ourselves or ensure there was a roof over our heads. A future driven by intelligent technology will create a comparable situation for society at large. AI will become our carer, and we will likely not need to do much to survive.

As we face these changes, we must begin reflecting on what it is that makes us tick. We need to explore what our passions are and how we want to leave a mark on the world. Because employment isn’t the only way to stay occupied and productive. In fact, it’s a pretty poor method of occupying our time. Let’s be honest - many people don’t enjoy their jobs and only work to earn a crust. And so a world without employment can indeed be a utopia – jobs are part of a system created by the Industrial Revolution that makes the minority of society rich. The shift away from crafting and making moved us towards a soulless system of production and efficiency that gave us purpose but often leads to unhappiness.  

In my mind, a utopia would be a world where we don’t need to have jobs but are willingly engaged in meaningful work. But for that to happen, we must have a clear purpose and achievable goals. This is where the fire can be allowed to burn most brightly. Earlier I explained how it’s the thing that will drive us to ruin if we remain idle. But it is also the force that can save us from demise. The desire it gives us to make, create, explore and produce will be incredibly valuable in a post-employment world. We just need to rethink what work means, and reassess what creativity and production can be in a landscape where machines take care of the essentials.

The Journey

As a result of AI, I see the journey ahead as being separated into two distinct stages . . .

The Transition – This is the intermediary stage we have just entered. It will be a tumultuous period where purpose is increasingly eroded by intelligent technologies. There will be job losses and societal problems because of the rapid speed of change. Over the next few years we will likely see a reduction in human job vacancies across a broad range of thought-based and physical roles. In a decade, this could be so significant that emergency measures will need to be rolled out, such as UBI. 

The New World – This is where we will end up. And honestly – I can see it going one of two ways - utopia or dystopia. The abundance of riches that AI promises (a healthcare revolution, ultra-efficient production, solutions to most of our problems) will be set against a backdrop of drawbacks (international security issues, loss of privacy, redundancy for humans). Utopia or Dystopia - our purpose will be challenged, and our goals, aims and future will be very different to what we see now. 

The Cross-roads 

If I’m right, then it’s wise to plan for the significant changes ahead. But how do we go about that? What do we do to prepare ourselves to transition into a world where intelligent technologies will do many of the things’ humans do?

I believe we are at a crossroads in the history of our species, and the direction we choose needs to be right. Humanity finds itself at the beginning of a process that will challenge what it means to be human. On a societal level we are entering an age of abundance that will make life easier, longer and more plentiful for most. But at the same time, as individuals, we are facing a redundancy of purpose. The changes that are likely to occur will pose significant challenges, but they will also give rise to immense opportunities over time. 

As we move towards a post-employment future, I think we need to reassess everything we have come to know about how we spend our time, and begin to alter our perception that employment = purpose. Instead, we must reframe work from something we have to do to something we want to do. And I am not talking about activities purely for financial gain but work that fulfils, aligns with our interests and values and provides meaning to our lives just through doing it. The solution, as I see it, is to begin moving ourselves psychologically from the notion of working for necessity to working for pleasure.  

But how can we do this? Many people work long hours in jobs that provide limited or no opportunities for doing anything other than work. Work across the world also means different things to different people, and what we do depends on opportunities, wealth and the needs of individuals and their families. I know that my suggestions are not a cure-all - they lack the definitions and specifics necessary to solve the problem of AI and automation across the board. Nevertheless, I see my observations as a starting point. Not an absolute remedy but a perspective that could be used to help us in the transition we undoubtedly face. 

Exploring Our Passions

One positive that emerged during the Covid pandemic was that many people had an opportunity to reassess what they did to earn money. Throughout this time, some reflected on their day-to-day lives and questioned whether they could use the opportunity to follow their dreams, passions and interests as an alternative to the daily grind. Thousands identified things they loved doing, started small businesses and changed their lives as a result. 

Unlike in the pandemic, we don’t currently have a long period away from work to mull over our passions and instigate changes. But we all have the time to reflect on what we enjoy in life and consider how we might immerse ourselves in these things more in the future. 

For any employees out there with the financial means and opportunity to turn their passions into a small business right now, I advise that you seriously consider it. AI and automation is already making this process easier than it has ever been. And instead of viewing this as a reckless passion project, see it for what it is - a protective strategy to secure your future. Remember - whatever job you do right now is likely at risk in the short to medium-term. 

Some people have a job that enables a degree of maneuverability. They are in roles with daily tasks likely to be affected by automation, where sideways steps into more enjoyable, human tasks are achievable. Many scenarios could allow employees to move to new jobs that include activities more aligned with their passions. If you’re one of these people then I urge you to consider pursuing this change before your current job is replaced by technology. The time for putting things off has ended. Now is the time to act. 

There are of course those who are not in a position to transition to a passion-driven area of self-employment, or work in a job that doesn't provide opportunities for a change. And these people may not have a financial buffer that allows them to stop what they're doing and follow an interest or passion. However, I believe that everyone - regardless of their personal situation - can follow the below suggestions to begin preparing for a future beyond the traditional format of employment . . .

• Reflect on what it is that makes you tick. Consider what your passions are and what gets you excited and motivated

• Start leaning into those passions and interests wherever possible now as intelligent technologies begin chipping away at the established model of ‘work’

• Start thinking about how you could turn what you love doing into a sustainable activity that provides purpose in a post-employment landscape

All of these suggestions are based around one simple premise - we need to start viewing purpose differently as the human-machine transition unfolds. Whereas for many, purpose once meant earning as much as possible and climbing the ladder, we are fast moving towards a reality in which productivity will be driven by machines instead of us. Industry will be rewritten over the next 10-20 years and this will reduce - perhaps even eradicate - the need for human labour.  

After the dust settles, all we will have is our passions, and the fire that exists within us. We must begin preparing now to ensure that the fire is able to fulfil its potential in driving us forward. Not through the necessity of human innovation, thought-based work, manual labour or any of the other things we have come to use it for. But for self-fulfillment, personal progression and a productive use of our time.  

Conclusion

And so, the fire inside is something we must pay heed to. It is the distinctly human flame that, when stoked and allowed to burn bright, will bring us the contentment we need. We must tend the fire not only to protect our mental health, but also because it is the thing that separates us from all other life on Earth and the intelligent machines that are reshaping our future. It’s our smart-bomb and our Kryptonite; our elixir and our saviour. The fire is hard-baked into our DNA - a naturally occurring drive that has got us to where we are today. And we neglect it at our peril. 

In concluding this article, it’s also important to acknowledge the global impact of AI on the nature of work. We live on a planet where employment, careers, work and the need to make money is markedly different across nations. I fear that - as has been the case with most of our technological advancements across the years - developing countries will likely be most negatively impacted by the transitions we will witness. But I also see the potential of AI to level the playing field, providing equal access to basic requirements to ensure a good standard of living for all. And regardless of where you live and what work means to you, its removal will impact your life - either financially or in terms of purpose. So conversations such as this are essential in the face of the seismic shifts we will see. 

You may feel I am caught up in a future that is yet to arrive. And it’s true to say that we are still a decade or more away from the reality I predict. Also - nobody knows for sure how AI will impact the nature of work in the years to come, or what solutions will be put in place to mitigate problems that arise as a result. But make no mistake - we are on a runaway train of technological progression that is reshaping society fast. And the speed at which it is travelling means that none of us can see the destination, let alone get off. But what you can be sure of is that we are rapidly heading towards a very different future - one where human input will be swiftly removed from the machine of industry. Now is the time to consider what we will do with ourselves when that happens . . .

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