192. The Work Only Humans Can Do: Why Connection, Vocation, and Meaning Still Matter in a World of AI

The Best of You

Dr. Alison Cook

Health & Fitness, Mental Health

4.9 • 957 Ratings

🗓️ 22 January 2026

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What does it mean to live out our calling in a world increasingly shaped by technology, efficiency, and automation? In this episode, Dr. Alison explores the deeper meaning of vocation — not simply as a job or career path, but as the unique way each of us is meant to bring care, creativity, and connection into the world. Joined by sociologist Dr. Allison Pugh, professor at Johns Hopkins University and author of The Last Human Job, they reflect on what Dr. Pugh calls “connective labor” — the deeply human work of seeing others and allowing ourselves to be seen. This episode explores: -Why the most important part of vocation has almost nothing to do with your resume -The hidden kind of work you’re doing every day-The small moment that can restore dignity in an instant (and why most of us miss it) -The tradeoff nobody talks about: when “more efficient” becomes “less human” -The uncomfortable question technology can’t answer for you — and why it matters right now -The choice you still have (even in a system that feels unchangeable) As workplaces change and technologies like AI reshape how we interact, this conversation offers a grounding reminder: while tools may deliver information, they can never replace mutual presence, empathy, and relational connection. 📖 Read ⁠The Last Human Job⁠ by Dr. Allison Pugh More Resources: Follow Dr. Alison on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dralisoncook/?hl=en 📥 Grab your 3 free Soul Mending resources here If you liked this episode, then you’ll love the following: Episode 53: How to Claim Your Strengths & Thrive at Home & Work 📖 Find a full transcript and list of resources from this episode here 💬 Got a question? Call 307-429-2525 and leave a message for a future episode. Thanks to our Sponsors! Quince - Go to ⁠Quince.com/bestofyou⁠ for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! *Some of the links above are Amazon affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.‍ © 2025 Alison Cook. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Please do not copy or share the contents of this webpage or transcript without permission from the author. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	AI is incredible. They can teach you how to fry an egg and even write a poem, pirate style.
0:07.0	But it knows nothing about your work. Slackbot is different. It doesn't just know the facts.
0:14.0	It knows your schedule. It can turn a brainstorm into a brief and it doesn't need to be taught.
0:20.0	Because Slackbot isn't just another AI.
0:23.3	It's AI that knows your work as well as you do.
0:26.4	Visit Slack.com forward slash meet Slackbot to learn more.
0:30.1	People cherish these connections or this capacity to be seen and to see others.
0:37.2	And in its absence, especially when it's being
0:40.4	kind of limited by technology people really yearn for it and notice it will that be a moment where
0:46.3	people go no actually humanity and connection is what is valuable here.
1:04.2	Hey, everyone, and welcome back to this week's episode of The Best of You.
1:06.2	I'm so glad you're here today.
1:11.9	We're talking about something that sits right at the intersection of spirituality, psychology, and everyday life, our work life. I like to think of it as vocation, that deep inner sense
1:19.5	each of us carries that our presence in this world matters, that God in his tenderness and
1:25.2	creativity crafted us not simply to do things, but to offer something
1:30.7	uniquely ours to the people and places around us. And right now with all of these new technologies,
1:39.1	there's a lot of uncertainty in the workforce. A lot of people have been laid off. There's ways in which we're
1:45.5	trying to figure out our relationship to work. Some of us are working from home. We're no longer
1:49.9	going to offices. The truth is nothing. Not any of this chaos around us can replace the human
1:57.9	sense of calling. The way we are designed to show up in meaningful ways contributing
2:04.4	to the world around us. When I use this word vocation, I'm not just talking about a job
2:11.0	title or a resume line. I'm talking about that deeper sense of calling. The way your life
	...

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