When Automation Takes Over, Creation Will Take Off
As automation takes over the mundane, the real opportunity isn't just in efficiency — it's in unleashing human creativity at scale.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
When I think about the future, I don't picture humans cleaning gutters or mowing lawns. I picture something else entirely — something more imaginative. We're quickly approaching a world where menial tasks are handled by machines that don't sleep, don't take breaks and never get tired. And once that shift is fully realized, we're left with a bigger question: what do we do with all that time?
For me, the answer is creation.
We're at the edge of something massive. Automation is coming, and it's going to be fast, sweeping and disruptive. But if we embrace what makes us human — our creativity, our ability to connect, to imagine, to express — we won't be displaced. We'll be elevated.
Automation isn't the end — It's the beginning
When the robots start working 24 hours a day and only need an hour to re-oil or recharge, there's no way we'll compete with that kind of efficiency — and we shouldn't want to. That's not where our value lies. Once those menial jobs are taken care of, it opens a door. A door back to something we've been losing: time to think, to philosophize, to explore the meaning of life, just like they did in Roman and Grecian times.
We'll spend less time doing tasks like driving cars, which honestly can't happen soon enough. The number of people who die every year in car accidents is staggering. Imagine a world where those wrecks, the repairs, the hospital visits, all of that... gone. That's what's ahead.
But with that change comes a shift in identity. A lot of people find purpose in their jobs, even the repetitive ones. If we lose those, we've got to find purpose elsewhere. I believe that the purpose is in creating.
So if you're leading a company, start carving out space for that now. Give your people room to create. I don't mean just artistic stuff — I mean letting them bring ideas, build something new, try things out because the ones who learn how to create in this new world are the ones who'll stay valuable.
Related: 90% of Your Business Could Be Automated With Just These 4 Tools
Art will lead the next revolution
We're going to see an onslaught of art in every form — music, film, writing, you name it. That's not speculation; it's already happening. I was just on a call about launching an AI film company focused on short-form video and commercials. Things are moving so fast that it's hard to keep up.
There was a commercial shot with a person filmed using just an iPhone. A few back-and-forth shots, handed over to AI — and boom, it became a full ad. That's all it took. And now imagine what happens when that speed, that capability, meets human creativity.
But even with AI in the mix, there's a twist only we can bring. AI is just remixing what we've already done. We, on the other hand, can create things that have never been seen before. Entire worlds. New perspectives. Things that AI might eventually mimic, sure — but we'll always be a step ahead in originality.
We're not just going to consume more art. We're going to make more of it, and we'll make it differently. In music, for example, AI is already writing songs. I've got a friend who used AI to turn one of his poems into a bluesy song. My friend told the program what kind of voice, what style, and that was it. When I played it for people here at the studio, they didn't even realize it was AI. They just said, "Yeah, that's not bad."
And that's where it gets interesting. What happens when someone who is musically gifted takes that tool and uses it as a conductor, controlling everything from rhythm to tone to background strings, crafting something original? That's the revolution we're heading into—not one where AI replaces us, but where it gives creators the power to be the entire orchestra.
That's where leaders need to pay attention. Don't just chase the tech—figure out how to get it into the hands of your most creative people. Let them drive it.
The human touch is irreplaceable
Sure, you can make a song or a film with AI. But you can't replicate the feeling of a live concert. I just came back from a Vivaldi concert in Vienna — nine musicians, mostly violinists, playing The Four Seasons. You can't AI that. Not really. Not the energy, not the emotion of watching someone perform right in front of you.
That's where the human part stays irreplaceable. We'll use AI to create better art, sure. But we'll still crave the live experience, the human behind the music, the emotion behind the words.
And maybe, just maybe, this opens doors for people who've never had access before. Before, you had to go through all these steps— find a band, book studio time and get a label deal. Now? Anyone with talent and drive can make music, make films, tell stories. That levels the playing field in a big way. The truly creative people, who know how to use the tools, are the ones who will rise.
If you're running a business, that shift matters. You're not just looking at resumes anymore — you're looking for raw creativity and people who know how to work with these tools. That's who'll bring new ideas to the table and move things forward.
Related: Why Automation is Killing Your Productivity and Draining Profits
Let the machines work — we'll create
The speed at which this is happening — it's not 10 to 20 years. It's 10 to 20 months. And we'll be in a whole new creative realm. So yes, automation is coming. Yes, AI is here. But it's not something to fear.
Because what's left — what remains — is us. Our ability to interact, to live with each other, to make life something beautiful. What automation leaves behind is not emptiness. It's space. Space for imagination. Space for art. Space to figure out what it really means to be human.
And that, to me, is worth everything.
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