AI as an antidote to the moral hazard of “working hard”

For most of us, we've built careers on a moral foundation that I believe is about to shatter: that working long hours makes us more virtuous and valuable.

Azim Shariff at the University of British Columbia discovered across every culture, we automatically assume people working long hours are more moral, even when their work creates no value, even when it could be completed it in half the time.

He found we’re conditioned to believe hard work equals a good person. The more you suffer, the more virtuous you become, regardless of the outcome.

But I believe this moral framework is about to become a massive career liability.

Here's why:

AI doesn't care about noble suffering. It will systemically absorb or make more efficient many of the routine tasks we perform, which will leave humans to focus more on what actually matters - identifying the right problems and finding the smartest solutions.

The winners in this shift won't be the ones who can endure the longest. They'll be the ones who can see what needs solving and orchestrate the best combination of human creativity and AI efficiency to get there.

The uncomfortable truth:

Grinding on its own won’t be impressive anymore. Smart grinding to cleverly solve problems that matter will be.

This isn't just about productivity. It's about completely rewiring how we measure human worth at work. And I think it will happen faster than we realise.

Those that thrive in the age of AI:

Will choose to be laser focused on what the future requires, and not cling tightly to the past.

Looking to sharpen your problem spotting and solving skills? Grab a free download of my book Problem Hunter and learn the four steps to help you master solving any problem.

Want to receive a free summary of these blog posts each week? Enter your details below and you’ll get an email from me with three of the most liked blog posts from the previous week.