Leisurely Humans Return to Being Artists

We are standing at a historical turning point. The rapid development of AI and robotics is forcing us to fundamentally reconsider the role of humans. Until now, human progress has primarily been discussed in the context of "productivity improvement." However, in a world where AI surpasses human productivity, what should we humans do? The answer might surprisingly already be hidden in our childhood and in the essence of modern economic activities.

The AI Agent Era and the Increase in Wait Time

As AI agent capabilities improve, our role as humans is shifting from "executors" to "decision-makers." Until now, humans have been responsible for both decision-making and execution, but as AI and robots take over execution, humans will primarily focus on decision-making. And between making a decision and waiting for the next result, "wait time" inevitably emerges.

Let's concretely imagine this phenomenon of "wait time." In programming, signs of this are already appearing. When entering prompts into advanced AI tools like Copilot Edit or Claude Code, there's a wait time of a few minutes at minimum, and sometimes tens of minutes at maximum. While the code is being generated, what should programmers do?

This phenomenon will rapidly spread to other professions. Designers while waiting for AI to generate multiple design proposals, marketers while waiting for AI to analyze campaigns, legal staff while AI drafts initial contracts—all will experience this "wait time." In medical settings, doctors might conduct initial assessments of the next patient while AI analyzes diagnostic data. Educators might be able to devote time to individual instruction while AI creates parts of the curriculum.

The Importance of Multitasking and Short-term Outlook in Capitalist Society

For the time being, in our capitalist society, how efficiently we utilize this "wait time" will become a source of competitive advantage. In other words, multitasking ability—the ability to give different instructions to multiple AI agents and simultaneously manage their progress—will become extremely important.

While AI for Project A is working, give instructions for Project B, and during that time, check the results of Project C. This kind of management thinking will become essential for knowledge workers going forward. In fact, examples are already emerging where using advanced AI tools to progress multiple projects simultaneously has realized productivity dozens of times higher than before.

This change will also affect organizational structures. We will transition from traditional hierarchical management to an era where the ability to efficiently operate AI resources as a "director and decision-maker" is valued. Younger generations will need to acquire this "management thinking" earlier, and collaboration skills with AI will be emphasized more than years of experience.

The Artist Nature as the Original Human State

However, beyond multitasking ability lies an even more important question. When AI and robot productivity far surpasses that of humans, won't most of the production needed by human society be handled by AI? At that point, do we really need to fill all our wait time with "the next productive activity"?

Here lies a critical turning point related to our human essence. Perhaps humans are not inherently meant to do science and business, but rather to cultivate art and culture. This is not merely a sentimental view.

According to anthropological and neuroscientific research, artistic expression has played an essential role in human evolution. Cave paintings and early musical instruments date back at least 40,000 years, indicating that expressive activities beyond practical purposes are a fundamental human characteristic. Historian Johan Huizinga, who proposed the concept of Homo Ludens (playing man), argued that play and artistic activities form the foundation of human culture.

Neuroscience research shows that creative activities strongly stimulate the brain's reward system, bringing deep satisfaction. Recall childhood: we were all absorbed in drawing pictures, singing, dancing, and creating stories. Despite producing no economic value, these were the most natural acts as humans. This intrinsic creative impulse is our essential human characteristic.

Even more important is the fact that concepts like science, technology, and business are historically shallow. Modern scientific methodology developed only about 400 years ago, industrial technology began developing a mere 250 years ago, and modern business concepts have a history of only about 100 years. These are just momentary events in the scope of human history.

In contrast, art and cultural activities have persisted for thousands of years. The pyramids of ancient Egypt, built over 4,500 years ago, continue to fascinate people today. The Olympics, originating in ancient Greece, has survived for over 2,700 years, repeatedly changing form throughout its history. Cave paintings, rock art, and ancient music and dance traditions from around the world continue to move people across time.

Why do art and culture persist for so long? Because they respond to fundamental human desires. The desire to express, create beauty, weave stories, and share emotions is deeply rooted in our genetic and neurological foundation. Even as technologies and economic systems continuously change, these creative impulses remain at the center of human activity.

The Artistic Essence Hidden in Business

It's also noteworthy that many modern economic activities already have artistic aspects. If securing food and shelter necessary for survival is considered "essential work," many jobs in modern society go beyond such necessities.

Innovative products like the iPhone are not merely communication devices, but have aspects of artistic works. This is not limited to giant corporations like Apple.

Consider an ordinary café. It's not just a place providing food and drink, but designs a multi-layered aesthetic experience including atmosphere, interior, music, and barista craftsmanship. Even a small local stationery store reflects the owner's aesthetic sense in product selection and display arrangement. Construction companies don't just create functional buildings but make aesthetic judgments regarding townscapes and living environment quality. Chefs don't just provide nutrients but create visual and gustatory sensations.

Such examples are countless. Most economic activities in the modern world are not strictly "necessary for survival" and can be seen as products of human creativity and expressive desire. From this perspective, many modern business people, though perhaps unaware, are already operating with aspects of being "artists."

The "Idle Time" Brought by AI and Return to Creativity

In a future where productivity is guaranteed by AI, humans will face the question of how to spend their "wait time." The answer becomes clear when we return to our essence. There is an option to "create, express, and dance" rather than "produce more" during wait time.

Let's examine this transformation process in detail. First, the development of AI agents increases "wait time." In the short term, people will hone their multitasking abilities to fill this time, improving productivity by running multiple AIs simultaneously. This dramatic productivity improvement will likely generate enormous wealth for society as a whole.

However, when material affluence reaches a certain level, humans face the limitations of simple consumption. When finding little meaning in consuming more goods and services, human interest shifts from "producing more" to "creating more meaningful things."

This situation is not historically unprecedented. Consider medieval nobility. Their basic lives were supported by "human means of production" such as serfs and servants, freeing them from the necessity of engaging in productive activities themselves. And what did they do? They became patrons of the arts, studied poetry and music, discussed philosophy, designed beautiful gardens, and sometimes immersed themselves in creative activities. Humans freed from the necessity of production naturally tend toward creative and cultural activities.

The development of AI and robots may bring this "freedom for creativity" not just to the privileged class but to a broader segment of people. Economist John Maynard Keynes, in his 1930 essay "Economic Possibilities for our Grandchildren," predicted that after technology freed humans from economic necessity, we would face the challenge of "how to use leisure, how to live, and how to live wisely." That era may now be approaching.

Conclusion: Beyond Production, the Courage to Begin Dancing

The development of AI may not lead to the "end of human jobs" that many fear, but rather to the "liberation of humanity." Freed from the logic of efficiency and productivity, we might return to seemingly meaningless—yet essentially human—creative activities.

Realistically, however, social transformation through AI will arrive gradually. In the short term, honing multitasking abilities and improving productivity through collaboration with AI will be essential for individual competitiveness. An era will first arrive where those who can simultaneously control multiple AI agents and appropriately evaluate and integrate their outputs are highly valued.

But at the same time, we need to constantly ask ourselves: Is filling this "wait time" with the next productive activity really the life we want? Can we find true satisfaction in a world that pursues only efficiency and productivity?

What will truly hold value in the coming era is not the ability to work more efficiently than AI, but the ability to create, express, and find meaning in ways that AI cannot. Deep down, we have all been artists since childhood.

While it's certainly important to hone multitasking abilities in the short term and not fall behind this wave of change, we might also want to pause and consider: Might it not be permissible to draw pictures, write poetry, or simply contemplate while AI is generating its next output, rather than just checking social media? Perhaps the real challenge of the AI era lies in balancing productivity and efficiency while recognizing the essence of our humanity and finding the courage to begin "dancing," even if just a little.