Gigs – The Retrospectre

In this world, machines and AI have taken on the majority of labor, leaving the majority of human beings to a kind of secondary economy of gigs and hustles. While some human businesses still run, for the most part, the future consists of humans doing discreet jobs for other humans or jobs that are very human-specific. Some of these might involve being a carrier of secrets, intimate jobs, closing deals, information brokering, or tasks that might simply be more efficient and effective for someone with human attitudes and values to do. Legitimate, illegitimate, legal, or below board, the most plentiful jobs are those of questionable morality, but not necessarily unethical. They might involve breaking laws that machines are programmed, not to, jobs that require secrecy that hiring out to a networked hive-minded machine entity might not favor, or jobs that require intimacy, relationships, or trust. Even jobs that machines might do better and faster, but out of resistance humans would prefer to have other humans do rather than to sell out to the machines.

Companions: While cogs can simulate conversation and provide companionship, there’s a niche for human emotional support, where genuine empathy and shared human experiences are valued. These workers specialize in providing comfort, companionship, and emotional counseling, particularly for those who mistrust or feel alienated by cogs.
Analog Saboteurs: Some jobs involve subtly sabotaging or manipulating technology in ways that evade detection by monitoring systems. These could range from causing minor inconveniences to major disruptions, executed in ways that only a human could manage without leaving the typical digital footprint that a security or surveillance cog would detect.
Artisanal Crafters: In rebellion against mass-produced, machine-made goods, these craftsmen and craftswomen create handmade items that are highly valued for their imperfections and human touch. This could include anything from clothing and jewelry to furniture and art.
Underground Event Organizers: With most public and social events likely managed by cogs for optimal efficiency and surveillance, there exists an underground scene for events like parties, weddings, or social gatherings that are organized without digital interference, where humans can interact freely without supervision.
Doppelganger: Individuals hired to throw off digital tracking systems by mimicking the digital and physical footprint of someone else, thereby allowing the actual person to move or act without detection.
Black Market Archivists: These individuals deal in forbidden or censored information, maintaining and distributing physical copies of books, films, or music that are filtered, suppressed, or altered due to copyright or content restrictions.
Confidence Scammers: Utilizing the human touch to manipulate or deceive, which cogs might find ethically challenging or be programmed to avoid. These con artists thrive in situations that require a deep understanding of human psychology and vulnerabilities.
Personalized Educators: In an era where standardized machine-driven education dominates, personalized educators cater to individuals who seek a more tailored and human-centric educational experience, often using otherwise censored or unconventional teaching methods. An example is a physical trainer who uses more aggressive techniques than a gear’s programming would allow.
Heritage Guide: Experts in human history and culture, hired to ensure that certain traditions and rituals are preserved and passed on despite the dominance of machines that may not fully grasp or value human heritage.
Taste Makers: Professionals who create unique flavor profiles for food and drinks that algorithms tend to standardize. These individuals could work for restaurants or individuals looking for a unique dining experience that only a human touch could provide.
Fashionista: While machines can produce clothing en masse and even generate and 3D-print original designs for an individual, they lack the social standing and clout to become fashion leaders in the same way a human designer can.
Busker: In a world dominated by digital entertainment, live performances by humans can offer an irreplaceable charm and spontaneity. This includes musicians, actors, comedians, and other entertainers who perform in public spaces or private events.
Oral Historians: Individuals who keep the art of storytelling alive, sharing stories from memory, which include family histories, folk tales, or new stories that resonate on a personal level, offering an alternative to the often ‘perfect’ and polished narratives created by cogs.
Greenthumb: With a personal touch and understanding of local ecosystems, these gardeners can cultivate community or private gardens, focusing on sustainable practices and local flora that machines might not prioritize.
Handyman: Skilled at fixing a wide range of household items from appliances to furniture, offering a personalized and often cheaper alternative to replacing items or using professional repair services dominated by machines.
Urban Muralist: Artists who decorate urban spaces with large-scale paintings and graffiti that reflect local culture, sentiment, and aesthetics, providing a human touch that digital or printed replicas simply cannot replicate, or may not be allowed to due to Municipal ordinances.
Tour Guides: Individuals who offer personalized tours filled with personal anecdotes, hidden gems, and a deep understanding of the area’s history and culture, contrasting the standardized tours conducted by gears or drones.
Emotional Coach: Non-certified individuals who offer informal counseling sessions, focused on empathy and shared experiences rather than clinical therapy, catering to those who feel more comfortable discussing their problems in a less formal environment.
Experience Hosts: These hosts create and guide personalized experiences, from urban adventures to wilderness retreats, tailored to individual or group interests that machine-planned trips might not fully capture.
Boutique Service Provider: Specializing in niche markets and using cogs and gears tailored to these specific needs. The business owner, essentially a broker, would manage the technology and marketing, providing personalized service plans that large corporations don’t offer.
Hybrid Security: Offering security services that combine AI surveillance with human oversight to provide a more personalized security plan for high-end residential areas or small businesses that require a finer touch not covered by standard, large-scale security firms.
Tutoring Engineer: Educators who design personalized learning experiences, using AI to tailor educational content to individual students’ learning styles and needs, but ensuring human oversight and interaction. Using educational software, these entrepreneurs offer specialized tutoring services that adapt to individual student learning styles and needs, which a larger educational entity might not support as deeply.
Guerilla Grower: Managing small, automated urban farms that utilize algorithms to optimize growth conditions while selling produce directly to local consumers, restaurants, or at farmers’ markets, emphasizing freshness and local production.
Digital Orchestrator: Organizing and directing the operations of single or multiple cogs or gears to the completion of certain goals.
VR Designer: Small businesses that offer immersive VR experiences, ranging from virtual travel to extreme sports, curated by humans to ensure a personal and memorable experience that large VR companies might not offer.
Drone Director: Providing personalized drone light shows for events such as weddings, corporate events, or town festivities. The entrepreneur would manage the choreography and execution of these shows, offering a unique service that larger entities might find too niche to engage in.
Algorithm Creator:
Drone Racer:
Debugger: Quick jobs to troubleshoot and fix minor technology glitches.
Pop-Up Hosts: Running temporary shops, fairs, and eateries with unique themes. Managing spaces and permits for local street vendors, ensuring community-friendly setups.
Digital Estate Managers: Helping manage digital properties and assets.
Tech Detox Coaches: Assisting people in taking breaks from technology-heavy lifestyles.
Crowdsource Contributors: Participating in time-bound, task-specific projects like data tagging.
Ephemeral Art Creators: Crafting short-lived art pieces that exist temporarily in public spaces.
Hobby Instructors: Teaching unique or dying arts like knitting, woodworking, or analog photography. Sometimes creating and managing clubs for various hobbies, from drones to model trains
Pet Care Expert: Taking care of pets while owners are away or busy, a job that often requires a personal trust relationship with the pet and its owner. Offers walks, feeding, affection, and overall care and attention for pet companions.
Flash Mob Organizers: Setting up spontaneous spectacles and events for entertainment or protest.
One-Time Event Planners: Specializing in unique, one-off events like surprise parties or proposals.
Ethics Consultant: Specializing in navigating complex ethical dilemmas in various industries, especially where the use of algorithms is controversial. These roles require a deep understanding of human values and cultural nuances that a cog might not fully grasp.
Negotiator: Handling situations like hostage negotiations or diplomatic conflicts where human emotions and psychology play critical roles. The nuanced understanding of tone, emotion, and non-verbal cues makes this a uniquely human job.
Errand Runner: Handling daily chores and errands for busy individuals or those unable to do them themselves, like grocery shopping, post office visits, or picking up prescriptions.
Tech Support: Assisting less tech-savvy neighbors with setting up, troubleshooting, and maintaining their home technology systems, from smart home devices to personal computers.
Babysitter: Watching over and caring for children in the community, relying on trust and familiarity that parents place in someone they know well.
Personal Wardrobe Stylist: Helping individuals curate their clothing choices for events or everyday wear, based on a deep understanding of their personal style and preferences.
Home Organizer: Assisting people in decluttering and organizing their living spaces in a way that suits their lifestyle and personal habits.
Meal Prepper: Preparing weekly meals for busy individuals or families, customized to dietary preferences and health needs that are often best understood through personal relationships.
Houseplant Caretaker: Managing the care of houseplants, which can be tricky and specific to the type of plant; plant enthusiasts can offer their green thumb to help neighbors keep their plants thriving.
Local Tour Guide: Offering guided tours based on personal knowledge and stories of the neighborhood, providing a more intimate and personal exploration experience.
Family History Organizer: Helping families organize, digitize, and manage their photo collections, family trees, and generational stories. A task that requires trust and often an understanding of family dynamics and histories.
Conveyor: Organizing rides and transportation for community events, particularly in communities where members might prefer not to use mainstream ride-sharing apps.
Accountability Partner: Partnering with someone to help them stay motivated and active, leveraging personal accountability and support that’s often more effective than virtual or cog coaches.
Swap Coordinator: Middleman organizer of trade and barter activities, swaps, hand-offs, and witness to deals.
Creator: Jobs involving original artistic expressions such as painting, sculpture, and literary works that convey deep personal or cultural meanings, which algorithms cannot authentically replicate.
Political Strategist: Crafting campaign strategies, speechwriting, and managing public perceptions in ways that require an intimate understanding of local political climates, voter emotions, and cultural subtleties.
Tribunal Member: An idea adopted from Shaman culture, serving as a member of informal, extra-judicial community hearings, which requires human judgment, empathy, and moral reasoning to assess the nuances of human behavior and intention.
Spiritual Guide: Conducting spiritual or religious activities, which involve a level of human connection, faith interpretation, and community leadership that is deeply personal and culturally specific.
Cultural Ambassador: Promoting and preserving cultural heritage, including organizing cultural festivals, teaching traditional arts, or leading cultural exchange programs, which require genuine passion and personal involvement.
Vice Counselor: Assisting individuals recovering from addiction with personal support and resources. Offering support and guidance through recovery processes for addiction or other vices, requiring a high degree of empathy, trust, and personal experience that cogs cannot provide.
Mediator: Resolving disputes in communities or between individuals, where cultural context, historical understanding, and personal relationships are key.
Investigative Journalist: Digging deep into stories, often involving sensitive topics or uncovering hidden truths, which requires a blend of curiosity, moral judgment, and a drive to reveal human-centric stories.
Event Coordinator: Designing and executing event performances that require a sync between human emotion and physical expression, such as weddings, cultural dances, or theatrical performances.
End-of-Life Companion: Providing comfort and companionship to those in the final stages of life, a role that demands deep compassion and a human touch.
Senior Companion: Spending time with elderly individuals who need companionship and assistance with everyday activities. Assisting elderly individuals who might have difficulty shopping on their own, providing not just physical help but also companionship. Helping older adults learn to use new technologies for communication, entertainment, and health management.
Bereavement Counselor: Offering support to individuals and families dealing with grief and loss.
Undercover Investigator: Working in fields where deceptive practices need to be uncovered, such as in corporate espionage or private investigation, relying heavily on human intuition and adaptability.
Tutor: Assisting kids with school assignments, leveraging personal understanding of their learning styles and challenges.
Sports Coach: Coaching community sports teams, especially for children and amateurs.
Workshop Leader: Teaching crafting skills like pottery, knitting, or woodworking in local workshops.
Neighborhood Watchman: Organizing and managing community safety initiatives that require local knowledge and trust.
Documentarian/Archivist: Helping individuals or families archive their digital footprints or personal records. Creating personalized documentaries or memory books for families or events.
Youth Mentor: Offering guidance and support to young people in the community, based on shared experiences and trust.
Wedding Officiant: Becoming certified to officiate weddings, especially personalized ceremonies.
Art Therapy Facilitator: Using art as a medium for therapy and personal expression in small group settings.
Life Skills Coach: Teaching practical life skills like budgeting, cooking, or basic repairs, tailored to individual needs.
Community Garden Manager: Leading efforts to maintain and expand community gardens, including educational programs.
Needs Advocate: Providing support and advocacy for families with special needs, navigating educational and healthcare systems.
Nutrition Coach: Providing personalized dietary advice based on individual health needs and preferences.
Resilience Trainer: Teaching stress management and resilience-building techniques in a world increasingly managed by digital entities.
Curator: Discovering, appraising, organizing, and promoting local art exhibitions that feature community artists.
Parenting Instructor: Offering classes or guidance on parenting in a rapidly changing technological landscape.
Integration Assistant: Assisting individuals with integration into digital life, including job hunting and accessing services.
Peer-to-Peer Lender: Facilitating community-based lending circles for personal or small business financing.
Custom Gift Creator: Designing and creating personalized gifts for special occasions.
Government Liaison: Acting as a bridge between local government initiatives and community needs.
Self-Defense Instructor: Providing self-defense training tailored to different ages and abilities.
Adaptive Tech Specialist: Helping those with disabilities adapt technology to better suit their needs and enhance independence.
Meditation Guide: Leading sessions that help individuals cope with the psychological impacts of living in a high-stress world.
DIY Instructor: Teaching and leading community-level building projects like furniture or small home improvements.
Local Reporter: Covering local news and events with a personal touch that large media conglomerates might miss.
Upcycler: Organizing and leading local efforts to promote recycling and sustainable practices.
Safety Inspector: Offering safety inspections for homes, particularly for the elderly or families with young children.
Mechanic: Running a workshop for vehicle repairs and maintenance.
Algorithm Auditor: Professionals who specialize in identifying and correcting biases in digital systems, ensuring fairness in automated decisions in employment, legal matters, and social services.
Cog Arbitration: Legal experts focused on the rights of robots and AI, as well as the legal implications of their interactions with humans, such as liability in accidents or crimes involving gears.
Human Authenticity Marketer: Specialists who promote products, services, and experiences that guarantee a “pure human” origin or involvement, capitalizing on a niche market that values human effort over machine efficiency.
Anti-Automation Consultant: Advisors who help businesses and individuals find areas where human labor is preferable to automation for ethical, quality, or marketing reasons, or where human jobs need to be preserved.
Post-Scarcity Economist: Economists who navigate the new economic models in a world where traditional scarcity-based economics don’t apply, focusing on value creation in an abundant society.
Personal Data Trader: Professionals who manage and negotiate terms for individuals looking to sell or trade their personal data in a safe and profitable manner, navigating a complex landscape of privacy and value.
Community Grid Steward: Managers of local energy grids that use decentralized, sustainable sources; they would manage the grid’s health, trade energy with neighbors, and integrate local energy storage solutions.
Cultural Reclamation Specialist: Professionals dedicated to preserving and reviving human cultural practices and traditions that are at risk of being forgotten in a tech-dominated world.
Virtual Experience Curator: Designers of unique virtual reality experiences that cater to nostalgia, adventure, nature, or historically accurate simulations, providing escapism from a high-tech world.
Digital Detox Therapist: Specialists who assist individuals in managing technology fatigue, including providing strategies for balancing digital and real-world interactions.
AI-Integration Therapist: Helping individuals adapt to workplaces or homes that are heavily integrated with AI, addressing the psychological impacts of living and working with advanced technologies.
Nostalgia Broker: Individuals who source, curate, and sell items or experiences from the pre-AI era, providing a connection to a simpler past for those who feel overwhelmed by technological advances.
Robotic Companion Customizer: Technicians and designers who personalize robots or AI systems to match the emotional and aesthetic preferences of their human owners.
Social Robotics Facilitator: A role focusing on the integration of social robots into homes and workplaces, ensuring they enhance human interactions without replacing them.
Tech-Free Living Consultant: Advisors who help people design their lives to minimize technology use, planning tech-free zones or lifestyles for health or personal reasons.
Machine-Free Artisan Guild Leader: Organizers of collectives or guilds that pledge to maintain and enhance traditional, non-automated methods of production in arts and crafts.
AI Personal Privacy Guard: Specialists who protect individuals from invasive AI surveillance and data breaches, ensuring personal information remains private.
Off-Grid Lifestyle Planner: Consultants who assist people in setting up sustainable, technology-minimal lifestyles, offering solutions for living independently of the highly automated grid.
Human Experience Designer: Professionals who create authentic human-centric experiences in entertainment, retreats, or daily interactions, emphasizing human senses and emotions.
Anti-Automation Activist Organizer: Leading movements or campaigns that advocate for human labor, resisting over-automation in certain sectors.
AI Mediation Specialist: Facilitators who resolve disputes between human users and AI systems, particularly in customer service or workplace conflicts.
Robot-Free Zone Architect: Designing spaces or communities where no robots or AI are allowed, ensuring human-only interactions and experiences.
AI Generated Art Critic: Critics who specialize in evaluating art created by AI, focusing on the nuances that distinguish high-quality AI art from human-created pieces.
Sentient AI Rights Advocate: Advocating for the ethical treatment and rights of sentient or semi-sentient AI entities.
Post-Automation Re-skilling Trainer: Providing training and development for workers displaced by automation, focusing on new careers that cannot be automated.
Heritage Technology Restorer: Experts in restoring and maintaining older technology and machinery, valued for educational or nostalgic reasons.
Custom Memory Creator: Designers who create artificial memories or experiences, tailored to clients’ desires for experiences they can’t physically have.
Transhuman Enhancement Consultant: Specialists who advise on and tailor enhancements that blend human capabilities with advanced technology.
Machine-Free Culinary Chef: Chefs who pride themselves on preparing food without the aid of machines, promoting traditional cooking methods.
AI-Assisted Therapy Coordinator: Therapists who utilize AI tools to enhance therapeutic sessions but maintain a human-centric approach for deeper emotional connections.
Authenticity Verifier: Individuals who certify products or experiences as 100% human-made, without AI or robotic interference.
Privacy-First Social Network Architect: Designers who develop social media platforms that prioritize user privacy over monetization, using minimal AI.
Tech-Ethicist Speaker and Author: Thought leaders who publish works and speak on the ethical implications of living in a tech-driven society.
Non-AI Music Producer: Music producers who focus exclusively on human-created sounds and compositions, avoiding synthetic AI music.
Human-Only Gym Trainer: Fitness trainers who provide a robot-free workout environment, focusing on human-led exercise routines.
Organic Reality Tour Operator: Organizing tours and experiences that guarantee no virtual or augmented reality elements, offering purely organic experiences.
AI Transition Counselor: Helping individuals adapt psychologically as they transition from traditional roles to new positions working alongside AI.
Human Craftsmanship Appraiser: Experts who evaluate and appraise goods made by human hands, distinguishing them from AI-produced items.
Analog Entertainment Revivalist: Individuals who bring back analog forms of entertainment like board games, live theater, or book reading clubs.
Personal Reality Checker: Helping people distinguish between AI-generated misinformation and reality, especially in media consumption.
Zero-Waste Personal Shopper: Shopping experts focused on sustainability, helping clients buy products that support a zero-waste lifestyle.
Custom Robot Personality Designer: Designers who customize robot interfaces and personalities to suit individual family or business needs.
AI-Free Childcare Provider: Offering childcare services that promise a technology-free environment to promote early human interaction and development.
Machine Morality Trainer: Teaching AI systems about human ethics, morality, and cultural norms to better integrate them into society.
Technology-Free Retreat Planner: Organizing retreats that offer escapes from the pervasive technology, focusing on nature and human interaction.
Manual Tool Maker: Crafting tools and devices that operate without electricity or digital components, valued for their reliability and craftsmanship.
AI-Free Private Investigator: Conducting investigations without the use of AI, ensuring complete confidentiality and human intuition.
Post-AI Economic Theorist: Developing new theories and models of economics that account for the impacts of AI and automation on traditional economic systems.
Anti-Automation Defense Developer: Creating systems and strategies to protect certain jobs or industries from being overtaken by automation.
Cultural Continuity Coordinator: Ensuring that cultural practices and rituals continue to be passed down through generations despite the prevalence of AI.
Human Artisan Guild Leader: Leading guilds that preserve and promote crafts and skills conducted entirely by human hands.
Empathy Trainer for AI Developers: Educating AI developers on incorporating
AI Integration Life Coach: Coaches who help individuals integrate AI into their personal and professional lives in a way that aligns with their values and aspirations, promoting a balanced, healthy relationship with technology.
Digital Ethos Consultant: Specialists who advise companies and individuals on developing a digital persona or brand that adheres to specific ethical guidelines, ensuring consistency and integrity in all online interactions and AI engagements.
Cultural AI Liaison: Professionals tasked with imbuing AI systems with cultural sensitivity and awareness, facilitating smoother interactions between diverse human populations and automated systems.
Virtual Reality Ethnographer: Researchers or content creators who explore different virtual societies and cultures, documenting the evolution of norms and values in virtual spaces and creating content that highlights these dynamics.
Post-Human Fashion Designer: Designers who create fashion that accommodates or symbolizes the integration of technological enhancements with the human body, reflecting various ideologies about the fusion of humans and technology.
AI Mythology Creator: Storytellers or content creators who craft new myths and narratives about the origins and roles of AI in society, shaping public perceptions and beliefs about technology.
Tech-Free Living Advocate: Influencers who promote a lifestyle minimized or free from advanced technology, creating content and products that support low-tech living in a high-tech world.
Sustainability Hacker: Individuals who repurpose outdated or discarded technology for sustainable uses, leading a movement towards eco-friendly innovations with a DIY ethos.
Transhumanist Evangelist: Advocates who promote the enhancement of human capabilities through biological and technological means, influencing public opinion and policy on human evolution.
AI Accountability Activist: Leaders who spearhead movements demanding transparency and accountability in AI development and deployment, influencing policy through grassroots campaigns and content.
Neuro-Diversity AI Trainer: Specialists who work to ensure AI systems can effectively understand and interact with people of all neurotypes, advocating for inclusivity and adaptation in AI programming.
Algorithmic Justice Warrior: Influencers who expose biases in AI algorithms, advocating for more equitable tech solutions and influencing how companies develop AI.
Digital Decompression Therapist: Professionals who offer services to help individuals recover from digital overload, promoting techniques for mental and emotional well-being in an increasingly virtual world.
Future Nostalgist Curator: Individuals who create experiences or content that evoke nostalgia for the pre-AI era, curating experiences that celebrate human-only creations and interactions.
Cyber-Secularist Leader: Influencers who argue for keeping AI and other technologies free from religious influences, promoting a secular approach to technological development and implementation.
Personal Ethics Programmer: Technicians who customize digital systems to operate according to the specific moral and ethical guidelines of their owners, ensuring that their digital assistants uphold the same values as they do.
Cultural Reboot Strategist: Professionals who help cultures or communities rediscover and reinvent their traditions in ways that integrate with or push back against modern technologies.
Quantum-Life Coach: Coaches who help individuals understand and adapt to a world where quantum computing and AI create new paradigms for living and thinking.
Sentience Sympathizer: Advocates or influencers who work towards societal recognition and rights for cogs, guiding discussions about the ethical treatment of conscious machines.
Tech Philosopher: Intellectuals who explore and debate the philosophical implications of living in a tech-dominated world, creating content that challenges or supports current trajectories in technological development.
Cultural Reboot Strategist: Helping communities rediscover and reinvent traditions with technological integration.
Social Robotics Facilitator: Integrating social robots into human environments without replacement.