Creativity and Technology as Keys to Tomorrow’s Free Time
Published on: 16-12-2024
Updated on: 16-12-2024
<p>Imagine this: the alarm no longer rings at 7 a.m. because you have to go to work, your inbox isn’t overflowing with urgent emails, and the clock no longer dictates how your day unfolds. It’s a future that sounds like a dream to some, but like an uncertain abyss to others. What happens to us when automation and artificial intelligence (AI) give us more and more time by taking over our work?</p> <p>For me, free time has never been a matter of boredom. I can entertain myself well with my own thoughts, inspired by podcasts, audiobooks, and the world around me. Yet I see how difficult it can be for others to fill their free time, especially when the boundary between work time and leisure time blurs. That creative process, which is a source of joy for me, seems like an impossible task for many. And that worries me.</p> <p>During the COVID-19 lockdowns, we already caught a glimpse of what can happen when people are granted abundant free time without structure or perspective. Some used this time to reinvent themselves, but many fell into a black hole, without purpose, without hope. Looking at the rapidly increasing impact of automation, such scenarios don’t seem far off. In this blog, I want to explore how we can embrace the challenges of abundant free time, mitigate the risks, and how creativity, craftsmanship, and community can help us in this process.</p>