We probably still do too many chores

I am a bad cook. The sizzling heat in my face, the running around chopping veg while hoping your onions won’t burn, the making a shopping list. I find it all stressful and overwhelming, and I am prone to becoming snappy and irritable during group efforts. The result of my efforts usually tastes horrible also. I spice my food too much, or it’s really bland and watery. I can just about manage a basic pasta dish or a fried rice, if I’m lucky.

I feel like I never learned how to cook properly. And I never really try to get better. I don’t want to.

Some people feel this way about ironing, or about raising kids, or about hosting parties. We all have chores that we hate.

Recently, I saw this note on my feed, explaining that we shouldn’t want AI to take away menial tasks like laundry - we need it; it’s what makes us human!

I feel like the author might have some other ideas at play here, maybe about laziness being a vice, about being detached from hard work, about too much luxury being a bad thing.

The author might also worry about scarcity. That we don’t have enough energy to give everyone two cars, a fridge, a washing machine and AI servants. (I reckon we do, tbh).

They might simply be saying that laundry is a relaxing task for them, in the same way taking a shower or walking to work can be.

Either way, I think it hides an assumption: that we are doing exactly the perfect amount of chores, right now. That 21st Century well-to-do westerners have fallen on the ideal amount of chores. 4-6 hours a week of shopping, cooking, laundry - it’s just right. It’s just enough to keep us grounded and aware of our privilege, but not too much that it tires us out excessively. And that it would be wrong for us to create new technologies that help us do fewer chores.

I don’t like this vision of the world. I think there are plenty of people doing tasks they don’t like, but they are forced to.

I also think, it’s seriously unlikely that we have already hit the perfect balance. To demonstrate this point, I’ll list out tasks we used to do, but have been quietly simplified by new technology.

Pre-civilisation:

• making a camp

• staying up overnight on watch

• hunting for food, killing + preparing animals

• looking for water

• creating clothes from animal parts, plants

• lots of running and physical activity

Europe, 1800s:

• going to the well to fetch water

• walking hours to get to work

• tending to domestic livestock

• topping up gas lamps or candles

• visiting the post office to send messages

• sewing, fixing clothes

Europe, 2000s:

• laundry

• driving to the store, shopping

• cooking or meal prepping

• exercising

• looking for flights or travel options

• travel to work, working

• scheduling appointments, visiting doctor and dentist

• showering, brushing teeth, doing skincare

When framed like this, I think we could imagine a future where we disappear lots of these tasks. Imagine if we could just keep everyone healthy without exercise, or if we didn’t have to go shopping.

It would free up time for what life is really about (IMO).

• collaborating with friends on art, music, poetry, inventing silly games

• starting or joining reading clubs, tasting events

• speed dating, making new friends

• going travelling, visiting new places

• working really really hard on something like getting good at knitting or sewing

• making presents and gifts for your family

• looking after a pet

So trying to make sure everyone keeps cooking because it’s an innate part of human nature is wrong. It’s like saying that we shouldn’t have houses, it’s more natural for us to always be building camps.

I see this issue like camping or knitting: once you’ve taken away the necessity of it, then we can start to do it for fun. We don’t require everyone to love camping or love running. These are hobbies that you are allowed to explore and see if you like.

So, yes, let’s automate away laundry and every other chore that we are forced to do currently. It makes for happy humans.