A new report from Theos has been published:
According to the blurb:
‘There is a relentless emphasis on improving productivity today – and with good reason. Productivity is, economically speaking, extremely important. But productivity is an unexamined idea, one of those words that “think for us”.
‘The challenge posed at the heart of this report is: Productivity of what? What are we trying to produce more of, and why?
‘Productivity at its deepest and most profound level is not a matter of creating more stuff but of forming better “persons”. Improving productivity levels can enable that, but it may not. In particular, when it comes to activities in which the human dimension is central, improving productivity can be counterproductive.
‘As developed economies become ever more service-based, this can become a serious issue. Encouraging people to become productive in such service interactions can undermine the personal, human good inherent in the activity itself.
‘And although AI can boost productivity in many sectors, including the service sector, it is not a solution to the problem of productivity outlined in this report and poses risks to essential human goods and values.
‘Ultimately, as we seek to solve our “productivity problem”, we need to avoid idolising productivity or allowing it to corrode what is most precious to us.’
A pdf of the full report is available here.
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