Computer scientist Diomidis Spinellis argues that artificial intelligence will soon take over the bulk of cognitive work, relegating human thinking to a hobby. In his October 8, 2026 blog post, he identifies three factors driving this shift: AI's rapidly improving performance across perception, knowledge processing, reasoning, and autonomous action; its declining cost due to massive investments and scientific progress; and its constant availability, operating 24/7 without rest.
Spinellis contends that these advantages already allow AI systems to outperform humans in an ever-wider range of tasks, especially as human proficiency in key information-processing skills remains low on average among adults and continues to decline among students. As a result, AI is performing better than humans in more cognitive domains, making the replacement of human thought economically compelling.
He warns that the transition will be met with fierce resistance from knowledge workers whose expertise and decision‑making authority grant them significant economic and organizational power, and that governmental regulation or taxation is unlikely to halt the trend. To prepare, Spinellis advises keeping pace with AI advances, fostering flexibility and resilience, and cultivating a purposeful life beyond work—shifting from making a living by thinking to making thinking part of a life worth living.