Help Still Wanted

A review of Jay W. Richards' The Human Advantage:  The Future of American Work in an Age of Smart Machines

We live in an age of increasingly rapid change. This means challenges and opportunities will continue to come at us in breakneck succession. One major fear making its way into the public discussion these days goes something like this: Are we going to be replaced by machines? Will there be mass unemployment because there's nothing left for people to do? Do the mechanizations of today portend the demise of humanity tomorrow?

This myth of the machine takeover is the primary, overarching target of The Human Advantage: The Future of American Work in an Age of Smart Machines, by economist and Catholic University professor Jay W. Richards. The short answer to all those questions is No. But...