AGI will be embedded into humanoid robots, which makes white-collar and blue-collar jobs a target ... More for walking/talking automation.getty In today’s column, I examine the highly worrisome qualms expressed that the advent of artificial general intelligence (AGI) is likely to usurp white-collar jobs. The stated concern is that since AGI will be on par with human intellect, any job that relies principally on intellectual pursuits such as typical white-collar work will be taken over via the use of AGI. Employers will realize that rather than dealing with human white-collar workers, they can more readily get the job done via AGI. This, in turn, has led to a rising call that people should aim toward blue-collar jobs, doing so because (presumably) those forms of employment will not be undercut via AGI. Sorry to say, that misses the bigger picture, namely that AGI when combined with humanoid robots is coming not only for white-collar jobs but also blue-collar jobs too. It is a proverbial double-whammy when it comes to the attainment of AGI. Let’s talk about it. This analysis of an innovative AI breakthrough is part of my ongoing Forbes column coverage on the latest in AI, including identifying and explaining various impactful AI complexities (see the link here). Heading Toward AGI And ASI First, some fundamentals are required to set the stage for this weighty discussion. There is a great deal of research going on to further advance AI. The general goal is to either reach artificial general intelligence (AGI) or maybe even the outstretched possibility of achieving artificial superintelligence (ASI). AGI is AI that is considered on par with human intellect and can seemingly match our intelligence. ASI is AI that has gone beyond human intellect and would be superior in many if not all feasible ways. The idea is that ASI would be able to run circles around humans by outthinking us at every turn. For more details on the nature of conventional AI versus AGI and ASI, see my analysis at the link here. We have not yet attained AGI. In fact, it is unknown as to whether we will reach AGI, or that maybe AGI will be achievable in decades or perhaps centuries from now. The AGI attainment dates that are floating around are wildly varying and wildly unsubstantiated by any credible evidence or ironclad logic. ASI is even more beyond the pale when it comes to where we are currently with conventional AI. AGI Problem Only Half Seen Before launching into the primary matter at hand in this discussion, let’s contemplate a famous quote attributed to Charles Kettering, a legendary inventor, who said, “A problem well-stated is a problem half-solved.” I bring this up because those loud clamors right now about the assumption that AGI will replace white-collar workers are only seeing half of the problem. The problem as they see it is that since AGI is intellectually on par with humans, and since white-collar workers mainly use intellect in their work endeavors, AGI is going to be used in place of humans for white-collar work. I will in a moment explain why that’s only half of the problem and there is a demonstrative need to more carefully and fully articulate the nature of the problem. Will AGI Axiomatically Take White-Collar Jobs On a related facet, the belief that AGI will axiomatically replace white-collar labor makes a number of other related key assumptions. I shall briefly explore those and then come back to why the problem itself is only half-baked. The cost of using AGI for doing white-collar work will need to be presumably a better ROI choice over human workers. If not, then an employer would be wiser to stick with humans rather than employing AGI. There seems to often be an unstated belief that AGI is necessarily going to be a less costly route than employing humans. We don’t know yet what the cost of using AGI will be. It could be highly expensive. Indeed, some are worried that the world will divide into the AGI haves and AGI have-nots, partially due to the exorbitant cost that AGI might involve. If AGI is free to use, well, that would seem to be the nail in the coffin related to using human workers for the same capacity. Another angle is that AGI is relatively inexpensive in comparison to human labor. In that case, the use of AGI is likely to win over human labor usage. But if the cost of AGI is nearer to the cost of human labor (all in), or more so, then employers would rationally need to weigh the use of one versus the other. Note that when referring to the cost of human labor, there is more to that calculation than simply the dollar-hour labor rate per se. There are lots of other less apparent costs, such as the cost to manage human labor, the cost of dealing with HR-related issues, and many other factors that come into the weighty matter. Thus, an AGI versus human labor ROI will be more complex than it might seem at an initial glance. In addition, keep in mind that AGI would seemingly be readily switched on and off, and have other capacities that human labor would not equally tend to allow. The Other Half Is Coming Too Assume that by and large the advent of AGI will decimate the need for white-collar human labor. The refrain right now is that people should begin tilting toward blue-collar jobs as an alternative to white-collar jobs. This is a logical form of thinking in the sense that AGI as an intellectual mechanism would be unable to compete in jobs that involve hands-on work. A plumber needs to come to your house and do hands-on work to fix your plumbing. This is a physicality that entails arriving at your physical home, physically bringing and using tools, and physically repairing your faulty home plumbing. A truck driver likewise needs to sit in the cab of a truck and drive the vehicle. These are physically based tasks. There is no getting around the fact that these are hands-on activities. Aha, yes, those are physical tasks, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that only human hands can perform them. The gradual emergence of humanoid robots will provide an alternative to human hands. A humanoid robot is a type of robot that is built to resemble a human in form and function. You’ve undoubtedly seen those types of robots in the many online video recordings showing them walking, jumping, grasping at objects, and so on. A tremendous amount of active research and development is taking place to devise humanoid robots. They look comical right now. You watch those videos and laugh when the robot trips over a mere stick lying on the ground, something that a human would seldom trip over. You scoff when a robot tries to grasp a coffee cup and inadvertently spills most of the coffee. It all seems humorous and a silly pursuit. Keep in mind that we are all observing the development process while it is still taking place. At some point, those guffaws of the humanoid robots will lessen. Humanoid robots will be as smooth and graceful as humans. This will continue to be honed. Eventually, humanoid robots will be less prone to physical errors that humans make. In a sense, the physicality of a humanoid robot will be on par with humans, if not better, due to its mechanical properties. Do not discount the coming era of quite physically capable humanoid robots. AGI And Humanoid Robots Pair Up You might remember that in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the fictional character known as The Strawman lacked a brain. Without seeming to anthropomorphize humanoid robots, the current situation is that those robots typically use a form of AI that is below the sophistication level of modern generative AI. That’s fine for now due to the need to first ensure that the physical movements of the robots get refined. I have discussed that a said-to-be realm of Physical AI is going to be a huge breakthrough with incredible ramifications, see my analysis at the link here. The idea underlying Physical AI is that the AI of today is being uplifted by doing data training on the physical world. This also tends to include the use of World Models, consisting of broad constructions about how the physical world works, such as that we are bound to operate under conditions of gravity, and other physical laws of nature, see the link here. The bottom line here is that there will be a close pairing of robust AI with humanoid robots. Imagine what a humanoid robot can accomplish if it is paired with AGI. I’ll break the suspense and point out that AGI paired with humanoid robots means that those robots readily enter the blue-collar worker realm. Suppose your plumbing needs fixing. No worries, a humanoid robot that encompasses AGI will be sent to your home. The AGI is astute enough to carry on conversations with you, and the AGI also fully operates the robot to undertake the plumbing tasks. How did the AGI-paired humanoid robot get to your home? Easy-peasy, it drove a car or truck to get there. I’ve previously predicted that all the work on devising autonomous vehicles and self-driving cars will get shaken up once we have suitable humanoid robots devised. There won’t be a need for a vehicle to contain self-driving capabilities. A humanoid robot will simply sit in the driver’s seat and drive the vehicle. This is a much more open-ended solution than having to craft components that go into and onto a vehicle to enable self-driving. See my coverage at the link here. Timing Is Notable One of the reasons that many do not give much thought to the pairing of AGI with humanoid robots is that today’s humanoid robots seem extraordinarily rudimentary and incapable of performing physical dexterity tasks on par with human capabilities. Meanwhile, there is brazen talk that AGI is just around the corner. AGI is said to be within our grasp. Let’s give the timing considerations a bit of scrutiny. There are three primary timing angles: Option 1: AGI first, then humanoid robots. AGI is attained before humanoid robots are sufficiently devised. Option 2: Humanoid robots first, then AGI. Humanoid robots are physically fluently adept before AGI is attained. Option 3: AGI and humanoid robots arrive about at the same time. AGI is attained and at the same time, it turns out that humanoid robots are fluently adept too, mainly by coincidence and not due to any cross-mixing. A skeptic would insist that there is a fourth possibility, consisting of the possibility that we never achieve AGI and/or we fail to achieve sufficiently physically capable humanoid robots. I am going to reject that possibility. Perhaps I am overly optimistic, but it seems to me that we will eventually attain AGI, and we will eventually attain physically capable humanoid robots. I shall next respectively consider each of the three genuinely reasonable possibilities. Option 1: AGI First, Then Humanoid Robots What if we manage to attain AGI before we manage to achieve physically fluent humanoid robots? That’s just fine. We would indubitably put AGI to work as a partner with humans in figuring out how we can push along the budding humanoid robot development process. It seems nearly obvious that with AGI’s capable assistance, we would overcome any bottlenecks and soon enough arrive at top-notch physically adept humanoid robots. At that juncture, we would then toss AGI into the humanoid robots and have ourselves quite an amazing combination. Option 2: Humanoid Robots First, Then AGI Suppose that we devise very physically adept humanoid robots but have not yet arrived at AGI. Are we in a pickle? Nope. We could use conventional advanced AI inside those humanoid robots. The combination would certainly be good enough for a wide variety of tasks. The odds are that we would need to be cautious about where such robots are utilized. Nonetheless, we would have essentially walking, talking, and productive humanoid robots. If AGI never happens, oh well, we end up with pretty good humanoid robots. On the other hand, once we arrive at AGI, those humanoid robots will be stellar. It’s just a matter of time. Option 3: AGI And Humanoid Robots At The Same Time Let’s consider the potential of AGI and humanoid robots perchance being attained around the same time. Assume that this timing isn’t due to an outright cross-mixing with each other. They just so happen to advance on a similar timeline. I tend to believe that’s the most likely of the three scenarios. Here’s why. First, despite all the hubris about AGI being within earshot, perhaps in the next year or two, which is a popular pronouncement by many AI luminaries, I tend to side with recent surveys of AI developers that put the date around the year 2040 (see my coverage at the link here). Some AI luminaires sneakily play with the definition of AGI in hopes of making their predictions come true sooner, akin to moving the goalposts to easily score points. For my coverage on Sam Altman’s efforts of moving the cheese regarding AGI attainment, see the link here. Second, if you are willing to entertain the year 2040 as a potential date for achieving AGI, that’s about 15 years from now. In my estimation, the advancements being made in humanoid robots will readily progress such that by 2040 they will be very physically adept. Probably be sooner, but let’s go with the year 2040 for ease of contemplation. In my view, we will likely have humanoid robots doing well enough that they will be put into use prior to arriving at AGI. The pinnacle of robust humanoid robots and the attainment of AGI will roughly coincide with each other. Two peas in a pod.Impact Of Enormous Consequences In an upcoming column posting, I will examine the enormous consequences of having AGI paired with fully physically capable humanoid robots. As noted above, this will have a humongous impact on white-collar work and blue-collar work. There will be gargantuan economic impacts, societal impacts, cultural impacts, and so on. Some final thoughts for now. A single whammy is already being hotly debated. The debates currently tend to be preoccupied with the loss of white-collar jobs due to the attainment of AGI. A saving grace seems to be that at least blue-collar jobs are going to be around and thriving, even once AGI is attained. The world doesn’t seem overly gloomy if you can cling to the upbeat posture that blue-collar tasks remain intact. The double whammy is a lot more to take in. But the double whammy is the truth. The truth needs to be faced. If you are having doubts as a human about the future, just remember the famous words of Vince Lombardi: “Winners never quit, and quitters never win.” Humankind can handle the double whammy. Stay tuned for my upcoming coverage of what this entails.

The inaugural edition of Shelter – a design fair on the occasion of NYCxDESIGN 2025, organized by the online collectible design platform Afternoon Light – was held on the third floor of Chelsea’s historic Starrett-Lehigh building. The 1930s-era daylit factory is an architectural relic from a time when industrial spaces of the same typology prioritized creative wellness through a structural-utilitarian-aesthetic unity. Its physicality provided an idyllic backdrop for the show’s eclectic, experimental design, which, when coupled with an expansive floorplate, promoted a sense of community among participants. More than 100 brands and makers across furniture, lighting, and product design converged on the bazaar of sorts to mingle with other trade professionals and media in what proved to be a creative convivance – something critical for in-person events looking to wrest audience attention and social currency back from the digital realm. Designers embraced the building’s ribbon-windowed, sun-drenched interior with some choosing to unfurl product-filled landscapes in lieu of walled booths while others opted for scene-building by erecting immersive sets. Aptly themed “Mart Nouveau,” Shelter’s successful launch has already positioned itself as a purveyor of taste and a collector of oddities in the best possible way. “We wanted to reference the industry-event tradition while also signaling that our activation is something entirely new… with a little aesthetic flair, too,” shares fair co-founder Minya Quirk. “Art Nouveau as a movement was about breaking from historical styles and creating something modern and forward-thinking, which we tempered by leaning into the larger concept of ‘shelter’ – protection, cover, the comfort of a hug.” Far from an exhaustive list, continue reading for a glimpse at 15 enchanting designers and the beguiling pieces that captured our attention at this year’s event. Matter.Made Matter.Made’s creative director and founder Jamie Gray launches the Delphi Pendant with star-like tubular detailing for a design that sparks great joy upon inspection. The versatile lighting collection is constructed of cast and machine brass paired with fluted glass in an homage to Greek columns. What’s more, the proprietary brass chain unlocks many use cases through customization as a pendant, sconce, and chandelier. N. Shook Reconfigurable, streamlined, and conceived as an architectural system. The Ledoux Prêt perforated shelving units, which revolve around a central spine, are satisfyingly thick with a lightness of form from their carefully calculated perforations. The cabinet doors swing on visible wooden hinges in an honest approach articulating their fully wooden joinery. Avram Rusu Studio Spring melds with summer in Psychogeography, a collaboration between Avram Rusu, Token, and Wallpaper Objects. The peachy-pink, biophilic glass orbs are whimsical by design suspended in space as they toe the line between sea creature and weeping botanicals. The sleek, bulbous forms and slightly organic folds pepper the collection with visual interest while enhancing their glow. Riffmade Riffmade’s Veil Curtain Desk is contemporary in appearance all the while deeply rooted in the domestic tradition that favors a slower pace. It supports a dynamic, modern work-life rhythm by hiding professional work stations behind a textile curtain and allowing users to create boundaries for the sake of their personal time. Jackrabbit Studio for Roll & Hill The Checa Stools commemorate Jackrabbit Studio’s first collection with New York-based, artisan manufacturer Roll & Hill. Each of the three options find themselves grounded in warmth, made even more inviting by Brett Miller’s inimitable round form-making, here inspired by the surface tension of water droplets. Ford Bostwick Finding furniture and lighting by way of architecture, designer Ford Bostwick takes the edge off rigid material forms with his indulgence in light and color. Lucy, the sculptural luminaire, can be stacked vertically or built out horizontally to create near-infinite linear combinations with her modules. She can be configured as a tower, room divider, wall feature, wall-mounted sconce, or ceiling-suspended pendant for a variety of programmatic needs. Yamazaki Home Smart brands like Yamazaki Home are approaching pet products with the same level of scrutiny and attention to detail as they would when designing goods for their human counterparts. The Tilted Pet Food Bowls elevate – quite literally – the dining experience for domesticated animals while creating a beautiful design object that doesn’t feel out of place in the contemporary home. Fort Standard Hardware Hardware bridges the gap between architecture and decorative objects, but few function with excellence at both. Fort Standard successfully expands into architectural hardware with beautiful home solutions through their Concave Collection. The slightly oversized handles boast a visual and physical weight that is hard to ignore. And, they are available in a variety of dimensions to accommodate a wide range of applications. M.Pei Studio (as curated by Colony) Maggie Pei presented her Portico Console Table and Wall Hanging Mirror as M. Pei Studio within a capsule showcase for Colony – a community of independent furniture, lighting, textile, and objects designers brought together by curator Jean Lin. Pei’s portico is monumental, meant for entryways that command passersby to gaze at and inspire a moment of personal reflection. A Space Studio Marble is arguably one of the trade’s most venerable building materials and A Space Studio takes a ‘waste not, want not’ approach to their use of it. The studio’s Slanted Armchair No. 1 is seductive, cut from a single sheet of Indian Onyx and leaning into its angular architecture. Michiko Sakano Studio Brooklyn-based, multi-hyphenate maker Michiko Sakano is all about duality. Her practice is an amalgam of art and design while her work blends utility with aesthetics. This current collection on view, Stacks, builds on previous explorations of jewelry. Here, rigid glass bangles of varying thicknesses and opacities are caught in tension as they melt into the layers below. It explores an inherent contrast between softness and structure, the negotiation between tradition and experimentation, and exemplifies Sakano’s skills as a fabricator when they meet her creative impulses. John Wells Heavy Metal & FDK Junior In a shared exhibition space, the natural patination of John Wells’ ES-07 Sconces complemented the iridescence found on Fernando Kabigting’s wall sconce from his collection 01 Capsule: Rooted in Nature. The two share a propensity for narrative driven design with contrasting approaches to storytelling through material finish and edgework. Wells’ sconces comprise stacked, terraced plates backed by LED strip lighting that echo elements of Art Deco design, while Kabigting looks to nature pulling inspiration from capillary waves caused by a droplet of water or the crinkled edge of crisp leaves. Heako Studio A good lede can make or break a story with its power to pull readers in. The same goes for objects with compelling visual contrast, which commands an audience. Soul-born artist Hea Ko knows how to craft a strong design narrative as demonstrated by the Himalaya Lunar Lamp. With this piece Ko creates a vignette distilling the serene yet powerful juxtaposition of the moon in dialogue with the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas – and bridging the natural with the celestial. Garnier Pingree Good collage is esoteric, expressive, and sometimes elusive, relying on chance for the perfect amalgamation of media. Marie Garnier and Asa Pingree, the duo behind Garnier Pingree, present the Claude Mirror I – a collage of simple shapes, a primary color, and superimposed textures – above their ‘A’ chair in a delightful display of materiality and wit. The seat offers a variety of ways to engage with comfort and even a little humor while settling in to relax.

It’s only fitting that Austin-based hospitality group Bunkhouse Hotels should dub its new Houston locale, Hotel Saint Augustine, after Saint Augustine. The fourth-century theologian was canonized as the patron saint of printing because of his extensive writings on and early dissemination of the catholic faith. The new locale situates near the Menil Drawing Institute. Augustus Chapman Allen was one of the founders of the Texas metropolis in which there’s an abundance of Saint Augustine grass. Though references to surrounding history and ecology abound, the hotel forms as an inward-facing urban retreat, tastefully outfitted with near monastery-like qualities juxtaposed by pops of contemporary color and texture. Award-winning local architecture firm Lake Flato programmed Hotel Saint Augustine as a cluster of five two-story structures that reflect the proportioning of the neighborhood but that also delineate a series of cloistral courtyards. The open air porches that connect these decidedly modernist buildings imbue the destination with a residential feel. Lushly planted gardens emerge from these voids as they give way to meandering pathways. Fellow Texas firm Ten Eyck teamed up with the John Fairey Garden to cultivate a series of complementary plants for the site: eyelash sage, dwarf rock palm, and blue rabbit’s foot fern. New York and Wyoming-based interiors practice Post Company – in collaboration with Bunkhouse’s internal design team – outfitted the interiors with the same duality in mind. Drawing inspiration from the notable art museums – mostly named for the influential de Menil family – the scheme champions a clever yet not bombastic intermixing of old and new elements; a touch of surrealism. Tying together a carefully sourced selection of distinctive furnishings is a tightly curated program of minimalist artworks. With different lounge and retail display vignettes demarcated by soaring sheer curtains, the main lobby takes on the appearance of what one might imagine as a collector’s home. A burled walnut and Calacatta Viola marble reception desk plays off of bright red lacquered shelves with glowing back-lit panels. Deep blue walls and ceilings, as well as dark black glazed ceramic tile floors in the adjoining bar, helps hotel guests and hospitality visitors escape the bustling city right outside. Antique mirror panels help extend the verdant greenery of the internal gardens indoors. When it comes to dining and drinking options, Augustine Lounge and Listening Room are joined by the Michelin Guide-recommended Bar Bludorn. Premiere all-day restaurant, Perseid – named in honor of Houston’s long history as an epicenter of space exploration – is a quintessential neighborhood bistro. Throughout this offering, ombre dipped wall treatments and hand painted, texturally abstracted murals help to scale down the space. Art Deco inspired pendants hang above. The 71 suites comprise a diverse range of accommodations: from the compact 200-square-foot Petite Queen guest rooms to the Ateliers with private outdoor spaces. Monochromatic blues, deep reds, sages, and mustards delimit the bed while the same approach to furnishings found in the public areas carries through. The difference: much richer velvet drapes juxtapose dark ebonized wood oak flooring. Oversized sculptural luminaires skew the more intimate scale of these suites. “Honoring Houston’s artistic and cultural heritage, Saint Augustine alludes to the legacy of John and Dominique de Menil, who were tastemakers, art collectors, and human rights activists that shaped the city into the cultural nexus it is today,” says Tenaya Hills, Bunkhouse Hotels’ senior vice president of design and development. “In line with our ethos of creating community-driven experiences, Hotel Saint Augustine will also celebrate Houston’s history of unexpected pairings and cutting-edge culture through programming and partnerships, and plans to partner with neighboring non-profits to build lasting relationships with organizations working to further responsible growth in Houston,” says Hills. What: Hotel Saint Augustine Where: Houston, Texas How much: Rooms start at $300 Design draws: An urban retreat made up of separate buildings with cloister-like courtyards and lush greenery. Eclectic yet cohesive interiors that at once honor the cultural clout of the surroundings and allow guests to retreat for a while. Book it: Hotel Saint Augustine Go virtually on vacation with more design destinations right here. Photography by Nicole Franzen and Julie Soefer.

Whether beamers, bollards, or lamp posts, the following light solutions prioritize lumen strength and distribution as well as charming, modern aesthetics. (Courtesy Landscape Forms) Moment Lighting Landscape Forms Characterized by straight lines, perfect circles, and conical shapes, this collection offers sleek, adaptable profiles. It’s available in different pole heights and mounting configurations, or hung and wall-mounted and with an optional hexcell louver to ensure precise illumination with minimal glare. (Courtesy Artemide) Gople Outdoor Artemide Drawing from the silhouette of a glass diffuser, BIG designed Gople Outdoor as a cotton candy–colored family of lighting. Bollards, spots, and lanterns make up some of the line, each interpreting diffusers in different ways. (Courtesy ERCO) Beamer Contour Projector ERCO Available in a new large size, ERCO’s beamers provide precise and powerful lighting suitable for museum applications. The narrow, inconspicuous framing houses straight-edge projections to create exact framing, cutting down on light pollution. (Courtesy Cyclone) Mochi Cyclone Mochi’s curved dome brings softness to urban settings. Offered in a side or pendant mount, the luminaire features 14 light distribution types as well as backward optics that can be oriented to illuminate a road or bike path. (Courtesy Lebello) Spore Garden & Path Light Lebello These mushroom-shaped LED lights illuminate pathways and gardens. They come in a variety of pole heights and colors, in brass, copper, stainless silver, or black accents, and in 3000K warm light or 4500K cool light. (Courtesy Luminis) Syrios Pro Luminis This luminaire enables a continuous aesthetic from curb to cube with pole, wall, and ceiling mount options. Optional beam angle reflectors are also available for public spaces, pathways, and facades.