Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be irreplaceable—especially now, when it feels like AI is quickly changing what we consider valuable.

Traditionally, intelligence was something people paid a premium for. If you were smart, knowledgeable, or skilled, society rewarded you. Intelligence was scarce and valuable. But today, especially after experiencing tools like ChatGPT, it feels clear that intelligence isn’t going to remain scarce for much longer.

Just think about it—ChatGPT alone has made access to a certain level of intelligence cheaper than it’s ever been. Five years ago, you would’ve paid a significant amount to have someone tutor you, answer your questions, or explain concepts clearly. Now, anyone can access that kind of intelligence instantly, at a fraction of the cost.

This trend isn’t slowing down. In fact, I’m pretty convinced it will accelerate. It’s The Bitter Lesson all over again. Large language models are becoming cheaper and more capable every year, pushing the cost of intelligence lower and lower. For someone like me, who went to university hoping that my knowledge and technical skills would set me apart, that’s a worrying thought.

Honestly, I feel an existential anxiety about this. If intelligence itself becomes cheap, what does it mean to provide something truly valuable to society? How can I ensure my skills or knowledge remain valuable enough to earn a good living?

The more I think about it, the clearer it becomes that intelligence alone won’t cut it. What will always be scarce—what people will always crave—isn’t intelligence, but identity. Human experiences, individuality, entertainment, personality—these are things machines can’t easily replace, no matter how intelligent they become.

Take Taylor Swift as an example. People aren’t drawn to her simply because she’s intelligent or talented (though she is). They’re drawn to her as a person. Her identity—who she is, how she expresses herself—is something uniquely human and impossible to replicate with technology. Taylor Swift is irreplaceable not because of her skills, but because of her identity and the human connection she creates.

That’s the kind of scarcity that holds up even as technology advances.

So, where does that leave me? Right now, my skills and identity aren’t particularly unique. I’m not providing anything truly scarce. It’s a sobering realization, but also an important one. Maybe the key to staying valuable in this era isn’t about becoming smarter, but becoming more human—expressing something authentic, relatable, or simply enjoyable.

I’m still figuring this out. But one thing seems clear: in a world where intelligence is increasingly abundant, identity might just become the most valuable asset we have.