When the first machine was invented, people thought workers could take it easy. But what happened? More factories appeared, the workload increased, and capitalists were all smiles, while workers still had to toil away. When computers first came out, we thought we could say goodbye to pen and paper. But what happened? Now, we can't even go to the bathroom without taking our laptops, afraid of missing an email. And don't even get me started on phones—we thought they would broaden our horizons, but our view has shrunk to the size of a screen. Many jobs are now completed with AI assistance, and tasks that used to take three days now have to be done in one. Keynes once said that by the end of the 20th century, technological advancement would reduce the average workweek to 15 hours, but maybe only the Nordic countries have achieved that.
This view captures a basic issue in the relationship of technology and entrepreneurship: Innovation is first perceived as a independent business venture. This creates more free time for employees, but instead of decreasing employment, this often leads to increased demand. This was well illustrated by the Industrial Revolution's growth of factories: although machines were perceived as reducing more effort on work, But they also created more job openings.
Promises of performance are often packaged and sold with a type of culture so we cannot live with them nor be liberated by them with computers and smartphones. These tools can be chains. It makes us more accessible and less disconnected. The expectation of responding to emails or texts immediately means that taking a break is stressful.
While some countries have moved closer to this ideal, many workers still leave each workday overtired, pushed to their limits. Tomorrow's challenge will be to make technologies make our life better than just leading them. Matching performance with success remains one of the key goals.
Truth be told invention of technology is always an adventure for that opens up for a more workforce and with time it increases the scope and opens up for adventure