2026, My Worrying Mind

As 2026 approaches, I find myself increasingly plagued by some thoughts that may not be fully formed, or even somewhat redundant.
They don't lead to conclusions, nor do they serve as judgments, much less proofs; they are simply a recurring unease at this point in time.

Perhaps I am overthinking it, or maybe I am just worrying unnecessarily.
But since these thoughts keep haunting me, I still want to write them down.

If you're interested, let's discuss;
If not, forget it.

1. Why are humans important? It used to be just because "they are useful"

For most of human history, no matter how wealthy or powerful a person was, they could not exist independently without others.

Wealth needs people to create,
Power needs people to execute,
The operation of society itself relies on a large number of ordinary, concrete individuals.

That's why there's the saying: "When the emperor dies, people still carry the coffin."

This isn't about dignity, but a simple yet solid reality—
People are ultimately useful.

But this "usefulness" isn't innate; it's structural.
It is based on a premise: the world cannot do without people.

2. AI and automation, for the first time, are shaking this premise

With the development of AI and automation technologies, I increasingly feel a shift:

It's not that certain jobs will be replaced,
But that the premise of "whether humans are still irreplaceable" is being challenged.

Looking around the world, almost no industry can confidently say it is completely safe.
Production, management, analysis, creation, decision-making...
The boundaries of substitution are constantly expanding.

In the past, people often said humans still had "emotional value" and "physiological needs."
But if we temporarily set aside the obsession with "must be a living person," we find an uncomfortable fact:

In many scenarios,
AI might actually be a more stable, patient, and less harmful emotional supporter.

And the physiological needs solutions brought by technological progress
are very likely to surpass what humans can provide in terms of safety, controllability, and efficiency.

If even these no longer form a "moat" around humanity,
then what is left that makes humans important?

3. Material abundance has long been achieved, yet suffering still exists

Overall, the material wealth created by humanity today far exceeds the threshold for "feeding all of humanity."

In just a few years, we can even imagine a "general well-off" world.

But the reality is:
•Famine still exists
•Wars still break out
•Countless conflicts still revolve around basic survival

This increasingly confuses me:
If the problem isn't "impossible," then what is really stopping it from happening?

Perhaps, what is truly scarce is no longer resources,
but the qualification to be included in the system.

4. Those recurring sci-fi stories are not actually far away

I remember reading some sci-fi works with similar settings:

On a certain planet, an extremely wealthy person has everything.
All technology serves him; he no longer needs other humans.

He doesn't choose slaughter, nor oppression.
Instead, he makes a seemingly "benevolent" decision—
To build a huge spaceship for free for other humans, so they can seek new homes in the universe, no longer "dependent" on his world.

The reason these stories are unsettling isn't because they are cruel,
but because they seem too plausible.

No violence, no bloodshed,
Just a calm premise:
The world no longer needs your participation.

5. If it really comes to that, what meaning does power have for humans?

If humanity truly reaches that state, a purely biological "human,"
What value remains for those who control technology and resources?

Could it be only:
•Biodiversity
•Genetic reserves
•The "protected" objects in ethical narratives

This makes me think of the changing attitude of humans toward animals.

Once it was hunting,
Then reflection,
And later, protection.

But the premise of protection often involves classification, grading, and isolation,
Eventually leading to confinement.

If that day comes,
Would so-called mercy just be another form of deprivation?

6. History has never moved forward smoothly

Anyone with a basic understanding of human history knows,
The leap of civilization almost never happens gently.

Every major technological and structural change
is accompanied by chaos, conflict, and long-term costs.

Perhaps, as Liu Cixin said,
Humans often only realize too late:
We should "give time to civilization," not "give civilization time."

If there is truly an awakening,
It probably won't happen during smooth sailing.

7. Maybe we are standing at the beginning of a divergence

The wheel of history keeps turning,
For individuals, it often seems insignificant and powerless.

But perhaps, looking back from many years later, people will realize:
Humanity is at a major historical crossroads.

Maybe, the divergence has already begun.

Just like when early apes stood at a fork in evolution:
Thousands of years later, some descendants became humans,
While others entered cages.

Epilogue: This is just my worry

I don't know the answer.
Nor am I sure that humanity will really reach that point.

This article is not a conclusion,
Nor a prophecy.

It is simply a reflection of someone living in this era,
As 2026 approaches,
A bit of unease and confusion about the future.

Will your genes, in the future, be confined in a cage?

I don't know.
Maybe you don't know either.

But perhaps, at least for now,
We can still raise this question.