What happens to your sense of self when a machine can do the thing you were proudest of? - Silicon Canals

"The anxiety, in other words, is not merely about income; it is about authorship of the self. This helps explain why the current wave of generative tools has produced a peculiar, almost mournful response among knowledge workers whose competence was previously unassailable."

"When someone has spent years, perhaps decades, building an identity around a particular skill or expertise, watching a machine replicate it in milliseconds is less an economic event than an ontological one."

"Anxiety about AI reflects a threat to professional identity more than a risk of job loss. The thing rarely articulated about watching a machine replicate hard-won expertise is how personal it feels."

Research indicates that the anxiety surrounding artificial intelligence is primarily linked to the threat it poses to professional identity rather than job loss. Knowledge workers experience a profound sense of loss when machines replicate their hard-earned skills, which have long defined their self-worth. This emotional response is evident when professionals witness AI tools producing work that mirrors their expertise, leading to feelings of inadequacy and mourning for their once-unique contributions. The core issue lies in the personal impact of losing authorship over one's professional identity.

Read at Silicon Canals