Since the mid-eighteenth century, new jobs have emerged then vanished throughout successive revolutions (Industrial, Technological, Digital) due to a combination of globalisation and automation. Now a fourth revolution (the joining of technologies like artificial intelligence, gene editing, and advanced robotics) threatens 4.4 million knowledge work jobs in the UK (“Transformed by AI – how generative artificial intelligence could affect work in the UK”, IPPR, March 2024).
By contrast, jobs that are hyper-local and personalised are not only sustainable, but also valued by customers, rewarding to suppliers, and contribute to antifragility. Suppliers are close to customers personally so can evolve their services rapidly in response to new needs ("Advancing a hyperlocal approach to community engagement in climate adaptation", Harrison, T.R., et al, 2022) and are motivated to train their own replacements.
