No Need to Worry About the Future of Our Planet, But…

We must prepare the younger generation for jobs that don’t exist yet. Here is how.

Erik P.M. Vermeulen, PhD
4 min readMay 26

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Photo courtesy of the author

“Are you kidding me?”

I notice that I say this sentence more and more to myself.

Increasingly, I witness corporate decisions that might have made sense twenty or more years ago, but right now? Less so. Take advertising spend on annoying old-style TV commercials.

The “working from home” versus “returning to the office” discussions drive me up the wall. A conversation about workplace flexibility makes so much more sense. And let’s not talk about adding more corporate processes to the workplace.

Unfortunately, it isn’t any better outside the corporate world. I always get confused when climate activists destroy other people’s property to attract attention. And I am not the only one who has started to dislike the increasing number of clueless experts who state the obvious. For example, “If people spend more money than they earn, they may encounter financial difficulties” or “consuming excessive amounts of sugary foods can lead to weight gain.”

And then, we have the stigmatizing labels we use to define people. Gen-Z is lazy. Millennials feel entitled. Gen-X is a lost generation.

“Are you kidding me?”

Sometimes, I say it out loud.

“What do you mean?” is the typical reaction. And when I explain my worries, it appears that I am not alone.

It’s becoming depressing. Unsurprisingly, people are increasingly unhappy in life or at work. Many believe the future of our existence on Earth looks grim.

But my feeling about the future of our planet changed last week. And I don’t think we have to worry. Not if we place our trust in the younger generation and prepare them for the unknown — jobs that don’t exist yet.

Don’t Worry . . .

Last week, I was in Japan to teach an intensive course on AI, cybersecurity, and regulatory initiatives at Kyushu University. I arrived in Fukuoka on Tuesday night. The first class was scheduled for Wednesday morning.

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Erik P.M. Vermeulen, PhD

Prof (Law) | Sci-fi | Sociological storytelling