What would be the last job on Earth?

Originally published 4 August 2016. AI polished for a better reading experience: 11 August 2026.

In this animated video, The Guardian sketches a not-so-distant future in which most work is done by automated machines. That picture invites a simple, unsettling question: what would be the last job ever?

Some economists argue that education and entertainment are the industries most likely to outlast robotisation. I am less sure we can name the survivors. We do not yet know which jobs will appear next. Anything that truly requires creativity will still need a human approach. I do not believe there will ever be a final “last job.” What I do believe is that the idea of a “job,” as we inherited it, will keep evolving. The human brain is too powerful and too sophisticated to be written out of the story entirely.