Ikigai in the age of AI
Every day technology continues to raise our surprise threshold. The Ancients once said “May you live in interesting times”. We live in very interesting times. In 2023, people have flagged self-driving Waymo cars, used payment rails bolder than Visa & Mastercard and may soon consume drugs manufactured in space.
In the middle of this excitement, AI has been the breakout technology this year. This week ChatGPT gained eyes and ears. It was already understanding, summarizing and writing in a humanlike way, now it will do even more!
On one hand, these technologies have captivated our imagination and inner child. On the other hand, there are concerns in the minds of millions of professionals:
How will my job be impacted by AI and what can I do about it?
In this post I will discuss Ikigai, an elegant framework for thinking about this question. I will discuss how AI has brought us to bold new frontiers of work, and share ideas on how we can keep align Ikigai in this age of AI.
On Ikigai
Over the years, I’ve added various Japanese concepts to my mental models cabinet shibumi, wabi-sabi, kintsugi, bushido - and ikigai.
Ikigai stands for that which gives your life worth, meaning, or purpose. It is similar to the concept of “raison d'etre” or reason for being.
Ikigai encompasses four elements: what you love, what the world needs, what you can be paid for, and what you are good at. At the intersection of these elements lies a purposeful existence.
For e.g. I love scaling AI startups and products that augment human capabilities at work. I have developed expertise in running Go-to-Market in the past decade. Consumers in this moment in time have a healthy appetite for AI products and the market has a similar appetite for AI too. This is my Ikigai today. Twenty years ago, I worked briefly in tech for social development. I loved it then. I thought the world needed it. I was OK at it. It was labor of love not money. My Ikigai was different.
Depending on the alignment of the four Ikigai elements in your life, you can figure out your balance for career or life choices.
Bold new AI frontiers and impact on Ikigai
Regardless of whether you are a specialized professional, a general knowledge worker, or a field specialist, your work may not be impacted tomorrow or next year, but when it is, it will be an exponential change. The Ikigai you’ve carefully sought to maintain is going to change rapidly.
When tools like Writer, Jasper, Microsoft Co-Pilot, DALL.E, Runway, or Mid Journey generate thousands of ideas, across text, images, and videos in seconds, faster than you ever can alone or with an agency, then it has implications for generalist analytical and creative work.
Let’s talk about even more specialized roles such as Accounting, Security Analysis, and Enterprise Sales. When platforms like Puzzle (Autonomous Accounting), CrowdStrike (Gen AI Security Analyst) and Aviso (AI Chief of Staff for Revenue) apply generative AI across datasets and workflows in complex processes, and are able to handle things that sophisticated professionals do, it has implications for the future of specialized analytical and creative work.
Ikigai for a person or group always exists in the context of the environment.
The bar on "what you are good at" is changing across classes of work. This is not just because of the prolific output of AI tools in the market, it is also because the output is visible to everyone instantly and once organizations have experienced it from AI they will expect better quality and quantity from human work, whether in Accounting or Sales, or Security Analysis or UX.
The bar on "what you can be paid for" started changing with remote work and will further change. With AI tools crashing the cost of production from millions to pennies, there will be downward wage pressure because one you have sourced quality work at lower cost with AI tools, you may want to do the same work with fewer humans. Would you pay someone $10K to build a basic website of ChatGPT can give you one for free?
The bar on "what you love" will change more as AI accelerates. Marcus Buckingham found that 85% of people don't apply their strengths to work. Many jobs are just means to get $ to live well. If you don't love a job intrinsically, it may be even harder to fake-love it. If your work is remixing slides or reporting news, how long can you love it if AI can do it much better?
The bar on "what the world needs" will change dramatically because AI will optimize for every human need. Consumers will thrive in existing experiences being faster, better, and cheaper. On the other hand, AI will also generate novel experiences that usher in a new era for consumerism because new tech generates its own use cases and taps our deep greeds and deep fears.
Think of Ikigai as a Zeitgeist or snapshot in a moment in time. Forward your timeline to 2030 or 2050. What do you see?
Keep Ikigai aligned with AI by our side
Here are some ways we can embrace this shift as an opportunity:
Rewrite your narrative with AI by your side. The Age of Enlightenment empowered humans to see themselves as rational beings capable of self-determination. This was a big step. Similarly, the Age of AI can be an opportunity for evolution with AI. Instead of fretting over pointy haired bosses replacing jobs with AI, instead reimagine what your work and career could be like if you had an army of personal AI Assistants, helping you engage better with recruiters, work better with managers, and slay mundane tasks.
Invest in new skills to stand out in an AI Co-Pilot economy. With thousands of startups building AI co-pilots, which will take over essential parts of your job, from Accounting to Marketing, it is time to uplevel your hard skills. Those who redefine their relationship with their work and learn how to actively work with AI co-pilots, while not losing their unique inputs and secret sauce are in a better position to thrive in this economy versus those whose hate on AI.
Work for institutions addressing AI risk and opportunity head on. Loyalty works when it is a two way street. Don’t blindly trust that your institution has your best interests at heart in the age of AI. A new CEO change or functional leader change that shifts work towards AI and away from humans could derail you. Invest your career in institutions which are up-skilling and re-skilling their teams to succeed in an AI economy and keep your eyes and ears open.
Being more human with AI
One close historical era we can look at which was fueled by similar technological and social changes is the 18th century Age of Enlightenment.
In that Age many urged humanity to emerge from its self-imposed limits and unshackle itself from the weight of tradition, including extreme feudalism.
Just as we can draw a line from the Age of Enlightenment to modern capitalism and geopolitical systems, in the distant future we may be able to draw similar lines.
Much like the Enlightenment wasn't just about reason but about human potential, the Age of AI can be a canvas for professionals to build a future where technology amplifies their potential and Ikigai rather than diminishing it.