AI and the Irreplaceability of Human Effort: An Inquiry into Labor Economies and Ethics

AI and the Irreplaceability of Human Effort: An Inquiry into Labor Economies and Ethics | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 29 September 2025 V1 Latest version Share on AI and the Irreplaceability of Human Effort: An Inquiry into Labor Economies and Ethics Author : PARTHA ROY 0009-0002-1893-3637 [email protected] Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175915665.53415049/v1 193 views 111 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Artificial intelligence is being touted more and more as something that will supplant human labor, something that inspires some but terrifies most. Giant tech giants are driving this, presenting automation as something inevitable and even desirable. But one would still like to know: can one really dispense with human effort in maintaining the tempo of civilization? This essay contends that while AI can boost productivity and reshape markets, substituting fully for human labor is not feasible or desirable on ethical bases. The analysis is a mix of three arguments. At the labor economies level, the analysis looks at how automation destroys forms of employment, especially in informal and gig economies where dignity and stability are already weak. At the market level, it asks if AI creates truly new demand or only redistributes value, raising questions about the possibility of limitless growth by means of automatization. At the moral level, it considers dignity, autonomy, and value of service, knowing that work is not merely a way of making a living but also a path of meaning and continuity. The implications are that human labor is more than a production factor but the foundation of civilization. Care, ritual, and creativity are key to advancement in ways that are not replicable by machines. To turn a blind eye to facts is to risk hollowing out economies and societies. The paper ends by advocating for a balanced way where AI arrives as a tool that supplements and does not substitute human work. Supplementary Material File (ai_and_human_effort_labor_ethics.pdf) Download 848.17 KB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 29 September 2025 Copyright This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License Keywords artificial intellgence human labor labor economics Authors Affiliations PARTHA ROY 0009-0002-1893-3637 [email protected] View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 193 views 111 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation PARTHA ROY. AI and the Irreplaceability of Human Effort: An Inquiry into Labor Economies and Ethics. Authorea . 29 September 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175915665.53415049/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. 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