What Work Was Doing for Us
Everyone is arguing about AI and jobs. A deeper question intrigues me more: what was work doing for us that the paycheck wasn't?
Eric Turkington
est. 2026 · Amherst, MA
Eric Turkington
I think, I write, I build. This is where I put it all.
I build AI products for healthcare by day, and write about what all of this is doing to us by night. Essays on meaning, attention, and the human side of a rapidly shifting world. Photographs from wherever I happen to be.
“The future of service is not about replacement but thoughtful augmentation and handoff, transforming synchronous service from a last resort to a breath of fresh air.”
— The Self-Service Conundrum
“We don't want service to get in the way of the product. But we don't want the product to go entirely unattended. Call it 'Self-service+'.”
— The Self-Service Conundrum
“When we lose a voice, we don't just lose a sound. We lose a way of seeing — the particular angle of perception that only that person could offer.”
— Beyond Bourdain
“The only missing piece — albeit a big, complex one — is the evolution of the digital fabric that connects us, and our assistants, together.”
— The Coming Era of Assistant-Centered Design
“Generation Voice will know what good sounds like, and brands whose sonic identities have been well-crafted and repeatedly iterated will be leaps ahead.”
— What Happens When 'Generation Voice' Grows Up?
“Some inflection points are only visible in hindsight, at which point it will be too late to catch up.”
— What Happens When 'Generation Voice' Grows Up?
“We built tools to scaffold our attention, then let the tools decide what deserved it.”
— The Scaffolding Deficit
“Work gave us the story we told about ourselves. What happens when the story is no longer ours to tell?”
— What Work Was Doing for Us
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