The Work of Art

IMO, the answer to:

> how do we avoid offloading or automating the kind of work that is critical to our well-being?

Is "we don't". Lots of work contributes to wellbeing, and IMO it's highly contextual rather than just because it falls within some category. I hate cleaning, but have at times found immense satisfaction in tidying the place up. I hate it as a chore, but at some point the mess becomes annoying, I fix it, and then stare at the now clean room with pride for a bit.

But that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with the Roomba. That at times I find it pleasant to do some cleaning doesn't mean I want to do that all the time.

Also, the:

> “I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can do my laundry and dishes.”

Is pretty darn hilarious and is getting made lots of fun of in some circles. We call that "washing machine", and "dishwasher". And "dryer" and "rotary iron" if you want to go a bit further.

Who is this for, besides the author? If you want to write sermons, write sermons. If you want to address people’s concerns with the way their time is obliged in 2024, you must address the impositions made by the labor market on employees that, more frequently than not, extend beyond the workday. Some fortunate souls have jobs that afford them equal agency to the creative pursuits the author derides, but the norm is the opposite. It’s hard to find the small joys within “chop wood, carry water” after a ten-hour day deferring one’s agency to the workplace & two hours commute. The suggestion that hypothetical dishwashing robots would shred the fabric of community seems misplaced at best.