What happens to online employment when this reaches 80%? Of course, some new tasks will get created – people will innovate and find tasks that they can do which AI systems can’t do. But how many of these new tasks will exist? Enough to replace the labor the AI systems now do? It’s increasingly hard for me to reconcile the continued progress of AI systems with the economy staying the same – rather, it’s more likely to me we are about to see extremely person-light AI-heavy (or person-nil) organizations expand to take over chunks of the economy, out-competing un-augmented humans.

I think this all makes sense for someone in the author's situation of which I am one. It should be remembered that there probably weren't many impoverished homeless people interviewed on their death beds. I'm assuming some of those would have had regrets about not earning enough money. My point is that even though people like me may be worrying about things like identity crisis, AI agents could have more tangible consequences for some.

Saying "I am a software engineer" is beginning to feel like saying "I am a calcultor" in 1950 now that digital machines can use electrical circuits to count, add, multiply - it's not long until they'll be able differentiate a non-continuous function... You're beginning to feel less-than-useful.

This bothers a lot of people for a reason (I think) that has nothing to do with the technology. The fear isn't really about losing a job title, it's about losing the story you tell yourself about who you are.