AI continues to evolve at an unprecedented rate, and it’s increasingly clear that it’s not just coming for our jobs—it’s coming for our sense of purpose.

In a recent warning, former President Barack Obama highlighted the staggering potential of AI to replace human labor, stating that “AI can already code better than 60-70% of programmers. That work is disappearing—fast.” This isn’t just about the tech jobs, though. AI’s reach extends far beyond Silicon Valley.

In 2016, the White House under Obama warned that automation could eliminate up to 3 million driving jobs. Today, looking toward the future, Obama predicts an even greater disruption. By 2026, we could be facing a turning point that will change the very fabric of work as we know it.

Bill Gates has been equally vocal, suggesting that even traditionally stable careers like doctors and teachers might not be safe within the next decade. In fact, McKinsey predicts that the healthcare sector alone could experience a $370 billion disruption. This signals not only the loss of jobs but the need for society to adjust to an entirely new economic paradigm.

Goldman Sachs has taken this a step further, with their projection that 300 million jobs worldwide could vanish due to AI. The question we must grapple with is not just how we’ll earn a living, but how we’ll define our purpose in a world where so many roles—once seen as essential to human fulfillment—are becoming obsolete.

This dilemma raises profound questions about the future of work. It’s not just about the loss of income—it’s about the loss of identity. Many people derive their sense of meaning from their jobs. Whether it’s a nurse tending to patients, a teacher shaping young minds, or a coder building the future, these roles have provided individuals with purpose. When AI takes over these tasks, what will be left?

The answer is a new understanding of purpose. In a world where machines handle tasks once thought to be the domain of humans, we’ll need to turn inward and redefine what it means to live a meaningful life. Perhaps this is the moment where we stop seeing work as the primary driver of our worth. Instead, we may need to embrace creative and intellectual pursuits, cultivate personal relationships, and focus on areas that AI can’t replicate—like empathy, emotional intelligence, and ethical decision-making.

It’s easy to focus on the economic challenges AI presents, but it’s equally important to consider the existential impact. As humans, we have always been driven by the need to contribute, to leave a mark, to do something that matters. As AI takes over more and more tasks, the big question becomes: how do we find meaning in a world where so much of what we used to do is done better by machines?

Ultimately, this disruption may force us to reimagine not just the future of work, but the future of humanity itself. Perhaps AI will push us to evolve beyond traditional roles and explore new avenues for personal growth, creativity, and purpose.

For now, the message is clear: AI isn’t just coming for your job. It’s coming for your sense of purpose. How we respond will define the next chapter of human history.