A World Without Work: Technology, Automation, and How We Should Respond

Daniel Susskind argues that machines are increasingly capable of performing tasks once reserved for human intelligence, leading toward a future with insufficient paid labor. He rejects the labor-complementary view, suggesting that artificial intelligence does not need to replicate human biological processes to outperform human workers. The text details how structural unemployment will likely rise as technology encroaches on both manual and cognitive roles. Susskind proposes specific policy shifts to address this transition, including the implementation of a universal basic income and the creation of a capital-sharing state to redistribute wealth generated by automated systems.

Economic policy makers, technology researchers, and workers in industries vulnerable to automation read this book to understand the changing nature of the labor market. It provides a framework for rethinking the relationship between work and social identity. Readers walk away with practical strategies for wealth redistribution and a vision for how society can organize itself when traditional employment no longer serves as the primary mechanism for income or purpose. The book offers a technical look at how to manage a world where human labor is no longer a central economic necessity.