Types of Jobs and Work

In the future, as is true today, there are number of types of jobs and work.

Enterprise worker: Working for an enterprise that pays you – this can be like working for IBM, the US government, MIT, the Red Cross, or other organizations. O*NET lists the roughly 1000 types of occupations in these organizations, and with the rise of AI – organizations will employ people who know how to use AI to augment their performance and take responsibility for a set of outcomes and processes within the enterprise. See O*NET.

Platform worker: Self-employed entrepreneurs (e.g., founders of your favorite startup) and gig economy workers (e.g., your favorite Uber driver) who depend on customers, venture capital firms, as well as enterprises with platforms that help people gain an income through the use their platform or other offerings. See sole proprietorship, entrepreneurship and temporary worker/gig economy.

The above two types of work depend on large enterprises including large corporations to exist. For example, the Forbes Global 2000 enterprise workers as well as self-employed platform workers that depend on a large enterprise. The next two are less dependent on large enterprises and corporations.

Appropriate technology worker: A worker who is able to provide for self and dependents through knowledge of the built-environment and how to maintain it. For example, getting energy from windmills that one knows how to maintain. Recycling and re-using materials are in this category of work. Abilities both to use and maintain are key for sustainability. See DIY and appropriate technology.

Primitive technology worker: A worker who is able to provide for self and dependents through knowledge of the natural environment. Hunter gathers and farmers have traditionally been in this category, but use of local AI devices is changing the nature of this type of work. See maker culture and primitive technology.

These are the types of jobs and work that have existed for a long time, and now they are changing through the use of local AI – a type of technology that augments human intelligence, including what to do and how to do things.