The Last Human Job

The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World

De: Allison J. Pugh

Narrado por: Allison J. Pugh

In this audiobook, Allison Pugh makes a timely and urgent argument for preserving the work that connects us in the age of automation

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence and labor-saving technologies like self-checkouts and automated factories, the future of work has never been more uncertain, and even jobs requiring high levels of human interaction are no longer safe. The Last Human Job explores the human connections that underlie our work, arguing that what people do for each other in these settings is valuable and worth preserving.

Drawing on in-depth interviews and observations with people in a broad range of professions—from physicians, teachers, and coaches to chaplains, therapists, caregivers, and hairdressers—Allison Pugh develops the concept of “connective labor,” a kind of work that relies on empathy, the spontaneity of human contact, and a mutual recognition of each other’s humanity. The threats to connective labor are not only those posed by advances in AI or apps; Pugh demonstrates how profit-driven campaigns imposing industrial logic shrink the time for workers to connect, enforce new priorities of data and metrics, and introduce standardized practices that hinder our ability to truly see each other. She concludes with profiles of organizations where connective labor thrives, offering practical steps for building a social architecture that works.

Vividly illustrating how connective labor enriches the lives of individuals and binds our communities together, The Last Human Job is a compelling argument for us to recognize, value, and protect humane work in an increasingly automated and disconnected world.

©2024 Allison J. Pugh (P)2024 Princeton University Press

Reseñas de la Crítica

"A New Scientist Non-Fiction and Popular Science Books to Look Forward To"

A profound book

I feel this will be one of the most profound and highly relevant books I've read, I highly recommend you give it a listen.

From the introduction...

"I ended up coining the phrase “connective labor” to refer to that work that involves forging an emotional understanding with another person to create the outcomes we think are important. ...I could also see that it was increasingly being subjected to new systems of data analytics, apps, and artificial intelligence that tried to make it more predictable, measurable, efficient—and reproducible.

Increasingly, we were treating this work to the same sort of industrial logic that one might see on an assembly line. And while some celebrate these trends and others critique them, most are still talking about the benefits and costs as if they accrue to individuals... Yet the social dimensions of these interactions—the collaborative magic they create that lies between people, securing us in relationship to others around us—are not entirely reducible to the individuals involved."

Sounds like she’s reading into a coffee can

Great content. The author’s reading is fine too. But the canned audio is highly distracting.