[79] The DaVinci Lifestyle: A Glimpse into the Future of Work

[Future of Work, AI, Multidisciplinary Work]

GM Readers!

In the age of AI, we will have to revisit the idea of a career and a job. AI gives us access to a bunch of tools that allows us to create, try and be many different things. In this future, we can all live the Da Vinci Lifestyle.

-LJW

(P.S. For the summary and further breakdown of this essay, follow me on Twitter)

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Image made with AI

As we (ad)venture deeper into the age of AI, the traditional concept of 'work' and the identities associated with it are undergoing profound transformations.

Work will become more flexible. With AI at our fingertips, many of us will be able to live what I call the “Da Vinci Lifestyle.” Leonardo da Vinci was a polymath who seamlessly straddled the worlds of art, mathematics, and science.

To many, this seems farfetched because of our default conception of work is one of specialization.

If Da Vinci worked in the modern world, would we call him an artist, a mathematician, or a scientist?

Why do we tend to answer this question with just one thing?

_Modern Work: Being One Thing

The traditional work model was characterized by specialization with a focus on one professional role at a time. This model, rooted in industrial and post-industrial era, assumes a few things:

• First, it operates on the belief that this model suits everyone, promoting a one-size-fits-all approach to all human careers and ambitions.

• Second, it neglects the role of technology as a significant catalyst for change, underestimating its capacity to amplify our capabilities.

• Third, it attempts to confine the richness of human experiences to a few narrow, pre-defined labels.

This framework limits our ability to embrace multi-disciplinary mastery of skills, crafts and passions.

_A New Paradigm in the Age of AI

The Internet and technologies like AI challenges this work framework. And since foundational technologies like AI are exponential, their impacts are widespread. I.e. increasingly accessible to all.

With technology, we are not confined to being just one thing. We can explore various facets of our interests.

For example: with AI empowering high quality image making at scale, the barriers for anyone to pursue some form of art and design is significantly reduced. In the past, creating high-quality images required one to devote their career to mastering this art.

Today, AI democratizes this process, making image creation accessible to all.

The craft now lies less in the act of making and more in the thinking — what to make and why?

Of course AI is not only disrupting image making … it’s disrupting everything. Modern work as we know it today will drastically change.

In this new paradigm for work, a couple things will come front and center.

_Curation becomes important

With AI increasingly handling production, our role shift towards becoming curators. When everyone has access to the tools of mass creation, competitive advantage at the individual level becomes about curation.

Curation, at its core, is about understanding and knowing what we and others want. It requires us to sift through vast amounts of information and ideas, evaluate their worth, and piece together something meaningful. When there is endless abundance of everything, people will look to others to help them curate and cut through the noise.

We become tastemakers.

_Multi-disciplinary

Work might no longer be confined to conventional job descriptions but should accommodate our varied interests and passions.

AI tools augment out abilities. In this world, our hobbies can become part of the way we make a living. The cost to experiment in most fields, especially creative fields will continue to decrease and approach zero. With a lower barrier of entry, if you wanted to dabble in say, the arts, you are a mere few clicks away.

With access, many of us will go from single disciplinary to multi-disciplinary.

We can pursue multiple interests at the same time because we don’t have to specialize to learn just one thing in a world with AI.

_The DaVinci Lifestyle

In today's world, one can be a storyteller, an artist, a designer, a coder, and many other things, all at once. This archetype may not fit in the conventional 9-to-5 work model, which encourages individuals to box themselves into pre-set roles.

This should prompts us to challenge the status quo and embrace the breadth and depth of our interests — the digital age allows for this level of flexibility!

Da Vinci’s polymathic approach shouldn’t be an anomaly; it should be a beacon of inspiration.

So… was he an artist, a mathematician, or a scientist?

Why does this question matter? Why should there just be one label?

In our personal lives, we aren’t just “one thing.”

Why should we constrain ourselves to being one thing in our careers and work?

👩🏾‍🎨🧙‍♂️🧑‍🍳

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🛟 Disclaimer:

This post is provided for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing written in this post should be taken as financial advice or advice of any kind. The author(s) may own some of the NFTs, art and/or collectibles mentioned in this post. The content of this post are the opinions of the authors and not representative of other parties.

Empower yourself, DYOR (do your own research).