The Question That Won’t Leave Me Alone
One evening after work, I sat staring at my phone, about to order dinner from Zomato — and a strange question crossed my mind:
“If AI does everything… and people lose their jobs…
Who will have money to order anything from Zomato?”
It sounds simple. Even silly. But it shook me.
Because underneath that question lies the real fear we’re all pretending not to feel:
What will happen to human survival, business, and the economy —
if AI takes over everything we used to do?
As a project leader, tech enthusiast, and someone who speaks to teams about digital transformation, I’ve always welcomed disruption. But this is different.
This is deeper. Existential.
So I wrote this blog — not with all the answers — but to explore the question we all need to ask before it’s too late.
The Rise of AI – And the Disappearance of Tasks
We are past the phase of “AI is coming.”
It’s already here — and it’s accelerating faster than any previous wave of technology.
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ChatGPT writes content better than many human copywriters.
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Copilot writes code faster than most junior developers.
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DALL·E, Midjourney, Runway create designs and videos without human artists.
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AI bots handle support, test automation, QA, data visualization, and even product strategy.
This isn’t a sci-fi trailer. It’s daily life for many of us already.
And quietly, AI is crossing a line:
From assisting humans → to replacing them.
Companies are laying off thousands.
Entry-level and mid-level roles are vanishing.
And most people don’t even realize they’re being made obsolete — not by a person, but by a prompt.
The Real Fear – If Humans Don’t Earn, Who Will Spend?
This is where the paradox explodes.
Yes, AI makes work faster and cheaper.
Yes, businesses will save costs.
Yes, shareholders will smile — for a while.
But then what?
If humans don’t have jobs, they don’t have income.
If they don’t have income, they don’t spend.
And if they don’t spend, business dies.
Let’s play it out:
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AI runs Amazon’s logistics.
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AI writes Zomato’s content.
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AI automates Flipkart’s call center.
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AI predicts Netflix’s next hit.
Great! But…
Who buys the product?
Who orders the food?
Who pays the subscription?
No income → No spending → No business → No economy.
AI will not kill us by turning evil.
It will kill us by making us economically irrelevant.
Will the Economy Collapse — or Evolve?
Let’s look at three possible paths ahead:
1. Universal Basic Income (UBI)
Governments might step in and say:
“If machines are working, let their profits fund the people.”
Every citizen gets a monthly income — to survive, spend, and keep the economy flowing.
UBI is being tested in small pockets around the world. Thought leaders like Elon Musk and Andrew Yang support it.
But will it work at scale? Especially in diverse, complex nations like India?
UBI might fix cash flow.
But will it fix purpose? Will people feel useful if they’re paid to do nothing?
2. The Human-Centered Economy
Here’s a more meaningful vision:
AI will do the mechanical.
Humans will do the meaningful.
We’ll see the rise of:
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Coaches, therapists, mentors
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Artists, storytellers, musicians
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Ethical designers, spiritual teachers
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Community leaders, human connection builders
Because machines can’t replace authenticity.
They can mimic tone. But they can’t feel heartbreak.
They can optimize a schedule. But they can’t hug someone who’s grieving.
In this model, humanness becomes the new currency.
3. Collapse Through Inequality
This is the path we fear most.
If AI tools are controlled by a few…
If wealth concentrates in the hands of a few AI-owning billionaires…
If humans are left behind with no safety net…
We could see mass unemployment, mental health breakdown, crime, social unrest, and even rebellion.
This isn’t dystopia fiction.
This is what happens when innovation forgets inclusion.
What Is the U.S. Government Doing?
To be fair, governments are trying.
In 2023, the Biden administration released a landmark AI Executive Order, focusing on:
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AI safety and testing before deployment
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Transparency in federal AI usage
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Reskilling the workforce
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Protecting privacy and civil rights
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Studying job displacement and labor impact
Agencies like NIST and the Office of the Chief AI Officer are now monitoring AI use across all federal bodies.
Congress is exploring laws to audit and regulate powerful AI systems.
Global alliances like the G7 Hiroshima Code and OECD AI Principles are trying to standardize AI ethics across borders.
Is it enough?
Not yet. But it’s a start.
What Can You and I Do?
Here’s the shift we need — as professionals, leaders, and citizens:
1. Don’t Just Learn AI — Learn to Lead It
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Use AI for your daily tasks. But understand how it works.
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Build a human-AI hybrid workflow where you focus on judgment, ethics, and empathy — not just execution.
2. Build Human “Moat” Skills
AI can do many things.
But it can’t:
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Handle emotions in a room full of tension
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Lead through ambiguity
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Resolve stakeholder conflict
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Drive purpose in a chaotic world
These are your assets now.
3. Speak Up for the Bigger Picture
Leaders must ask:
“How do we use AI without losing people?”
We don’t need to slow down AI.
We need to slow down our blindness to its impact.
Final Thought – What Happens When No One Orders from Zomato?
If we build a future where:
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Machines work
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Humans watch
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Companies profit
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But people don’t earn…
Then even the most advanced AI system will sit idle.
Because no one will have money to order from Zomato.
Let’s not wait for that.
Let’s build a world where:
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AI takes the boring work
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And humans create value worth living for
AI may do everything.
But only we can decide what matters.
Let’s start there.
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