---
title: ""When you read a headline that says "AI will replace 40% of jobs,"…"
date: 2026-02-16
source: facebook
type: Archer T. Ships added a new photo.
---

# "When you read a headline that says "AI will replace 40% of jobs,"…

*February 16, 2026 · Facebook*

\"When you read a headline that says \"AI will replace 40% of jobs,\" your brain does something very specific:\
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It imagines 40% of current workers losing their current jobs and sitting idle.\
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It does not (it cannot) simultaneously imagine the new roles, new industries, and new forms of value that will be created. Because those things don\'t exist yet.\
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In the words of Bastiat, they’re “unseen.�\
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I don\'t think this is a failure of intelligence per se. It\'s more a failure of imagination that is baked into how human cognition works. We\'re wired to respond to visible threats. We are not wired to anticipate invisible opportunities.\
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But history can show us what our imagination can\'t.\
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And history\'s record on this is unambiguous.\
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What we fail to imagineâ€"but can learn by studying historyâ€"is entirely new industries that don\'t even exist yet. The businesses that become possible only because costs have dropped. The new creative work that gets unlocked when drudgery disappears. The entrepreneur who can now build alone what used to require a team of twenty. The consumer who now has access to something that was previously unaffordable.\
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The unseen is, by definition, harder to see.\
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That\'s the whole point.\
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And it\'s why the bad economist (or the bad forecaster, or the panicked reader) always gets it wrong. They stare at the seen, extrapolate doom, and completely miss the explosion of new opportunity.\"\
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â€"Connor Boyack\
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(Read full essay linked below.)

![](img/2026-02-16-fb-001-img01.webp){you="" read="" headline="" says="" \"ai="" replace="" jobs,\"="" your="" brain="" very="" specific:="" imagines="" 40%="" workers="" losing="" their="" current="" jobs="" sitting="" idle.="" does="" (it="" cannot)="" simultaneously="" imagine="" roles,="" industries,="" forms="" value="" will="" be="" created.="" those="" things="" in="" words="" bastiat,="" they’re="" “unseen.”="" i="" think="" intelligence="" per="" se.="" more="" failure="" baked="" into="" how="" human="" cognition="" works.="" we're="" respond="" visible="" threats.="" are="" not="" wired="" anticipate="" invisible="" opportunities.="" but="" history="" show="" us="" our="" imagination="" can't.="" history's="" record="" on="" this="" is="" unambiguous.="" we="" fail="" imagine—but="" learn="" studying="" history—is="" entirely="" industries="" don't="" even="" exist="" yet.="" businesses="" become="" possible="" only="" because="" costs="" have="" dropped.="" creative="" work="" unlocked="" when="" drudgery="" disappears.="" entrepreneur="" can="" build="" alone="" what="" used="" require="" a="" team="" twenty.="" consumer="" who="" now="" has="" access="" something="" that="" was="" previously="" unaffordable.="" unseen="" is,="" by="" definition,="" harder="" to="" see.="" that's="" whole="" point.="" it's="" why="" economist="" (or="" bad="" forecaster,="" or="" panicked="" reader)="" always="" gets="" it="" wrong.="" they="" stare="" at="" seen,="" extrapolate="" doom,="" and="" completely="" miss="" the="" explosion="" of="" new="" opportunity.\"="" —connor="" boyack="" (read="" full="" essay="" linked="" below.)\"="" style="max-width:100%; margin:1em 0"}