On a recent episode of the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, host Joe Rogan and Replit CEO Amjad Masad explored the rise of AI, the collapse of routine jobs, and what happens when someone’s entire sense of self is tied to work that may soon vanish.
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Identity At Stake
Rogan voiced concern about what happens when automation hits not just jobs, but people's sense of purpose.
"My problem is there's some people that are doing those jobs right now and it's their entire identity," Rogan said. "They work for a good company, they make a good living, and that might go away, and they're just not psychologically equipped to completely change their life."
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He added that many of these people are "valuable parts of a certain business" and "hardworking," saying, "They show up every day. Everybody loves them and trusts them. And that's part of who they are as a person."
Masad, founder and CEO of a cloud-based coding platform agreed, but argued that it’s actually white-collar desk jobs that are more at risk in the short term, not manufacturing roles.
"I actually think that more white-collar jobs are going away," Masad said, and explained that ten years ago, we thought it would be truck drivers or robots in factories that would happen first. But it turns out, it's much easier to automate formulaic computer tasks.
He pointed to roles like software quality assurance and Excel-heavy jobs that are highly repetitive and easy for AI to mimic. “We have a lot more data on people sitting in front of a computer,” he said.
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A Nostalgic Vision Meets Modern Reality
While President Donald Trump often calls for a manufacturing comeback to restore America’s status as a “manufacturing superpower,” most Americans don't want those jobs for themselves. A 2024 Cato Institute survey found that 80% of Americans believe the country would be better off with more factory jobs, but only 25% said they personally would want one. About 73% said no, and only 2% currently work in the sector.
According to the Manufacturing Institute Executive Director Carolyn Lee, many modern manufacturing jobs are no longer entry-level. "The majority of the jobs in the sector are not entry-level jobs that have no skills," she told CNN in April, noting that they now often require certifications and experience with software and robotics.
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Desperation Or Reinvention?
Rogan pushed back against the optimism around reskilling, raising a deeper concern: not everyone will bounce back.
"Desperation, unfortunately, is going to motivate people to make changes," he said. "It's going to also motivate some people to choose drugs. That's my fear."
Masad acknowledged the challenge of retraining workers later in life. While reskilling has seen success in the past, he called the “learn to code” push aimed at displaced workers like miners “really cruel.”
Still, he believes there is an opportunity, especially for those already working on computers to reskill and start using AI to automate a big part of their job.
Rogan admitted that most Americans likely don't want manufacturing jobs, but cautioned that losing them isn’t just an economic issue. It’s about the people doing them now.
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