Futureproof: 9 Rules for Humans in the Age of Automation

Why I Read an AI Book Every Year

Why do I keep reading books about AI and automation? Honestly? I think I'm subconsciously terrified of becoming useless. 😬

There. I said it. Every year I pick up at least one book about where AI is heading, and every year it confirms that yes, the robots are coming — but maybe not the way you think.

The Superiority Fallacy

Here's a stat that blew my mind: 73% of people think AI will eliminate a significant number of jobs. But only 23% are worried about their own job. That gap? That's what Roose calls the Superiority Fallacy — the belief that automation will hit everyone else but spare you.

Spoiler: it won't spare you. 🫠

And here's the kicker — job elimination has been outpacing new job creation since 1987. The "new jobs will replace the old ones" argument? The math doesn't back it up anymore.

The Boomer Remover 💀

One of the most savage things in this book: Roose describes an internal AI project at a company that was nicknamed "The Boomer Remover." Its purpose? To eliminate overpaid middle management. Just... wow.

The corporate world is not subtle about this stuff behind closed doors.

The Invisible Automation Problem

This is the part that really stuck with me. Roose argues that the real threat isn't some dramatic robot-takes-your-desk moment. You won't walk into the office one day and find a robot sitting in your chair.

Instead, it's invisible. It's pay cuts. It's downsizing. It's startups with 5 people doing what used to take 50. It's your role slowly getting hollowed out until there's nothing left.

So-So Automation

There's a concept in the book called "so-so automation" — think self-checkout machines. They eliminate jobs, sure, but they don't actually add enough value to make up for it. The experience is worse for the customer, and the workers are just... gone.

This is the most dangerous kind of automation: the kind that's good enough to replace you, but not good enough to actually improve anything.

The Effort Heuristic

On a more hopeful note, Roose talks about the Effort Heuristic — people naturally prefer goods and services where obvious human effort went into making them. Handmade furniture. Artisan bread. A thoughtful, personalized recommendation versus an algorithm.

This is your competitive advantage as a human. Lean into it.