AI Might Steal Jobs, But Dads Still Wrestle Toilet Seats and Dryer Vents

AI May Threaten Jobs. It Still Can't Replace Lived Experience-or a Writer's Edge

According to a Goldman Sachs analysis, AI could displace up to 300 million jobs by 2027. I learned that from AI, so who knows if it's a prediction or a scare tactic. Either way, the anxiety is real-especially for writers.

Here's the good news: AI still can't swap a toilet seat, wrangle a dryer vent, or survive a Saturday with teenagers. And those are the exact kinds of messy, specific, human moments that give your writing an edge AI can't fake.

The Saturday AI Can't Touch

Instead of watching college football, I was replacing a toilet seat that my youngest daughter somehow ripped off like it lived in a locker room. It's a simple task-chimp-level simple-yet it still cost me a few spinal twinges and my dignity. Thanks a lot, AI.

Then I cleaned the washing machine filter and nudged the dryer half an inch. The vent hose popped off, so I had to shimmy behind the machines like a budget action hero, get stuck under the cabinets, and excavate enough lint to knit a sweater for a dust bunny. By the time I crawled out, I was sweating like the last hot dog on the gas station roller. Thanks again, AI.

What Writers Can Steal From This

AI can remix language. It can't live your Saturday. It can't feel the heat behind the dryer, smell the lint, or catch the side-eye from a teenager who treats you like a live-in maintenance plan. That gap is your advantage.

Keep Your Writing Irreplaceable

• Use AI for grunt work, not core work. Let it summarize, outline, and brainstorm variants-then inject your experience, timing, and truth.
• Write from contact with reality. Specifics beat abstractions. Toilet seats and dryer vents beat generic "life is busy" lines.
• Show, don't declare. Swap claims ("parenting is hard") for scenes (wedged behind a dryer, covered in lint).
• Dial in voice with contrast. Pair absurd images with straight delivery. Humor lands when the tone stays calm and the situation is ridiculous.
• Upgrade detail, not adjectives. Sensory beats: the clank of a loose hinge, the scratch of lint in your throat, the cabinet edge digging into your shoulder.
• Edit for punch. Cut filler, shorten sentences, and end paragraphs on hits-surprise, irony, or a vivid image.
• Ship consistently. Publish even when it feels small. Reps compound faster than inspiration.

A Simple Workflow That Works

• Collect real moments daily. One note, two sensory details, one twist.
• Draft fast with AI scaffolding (outline, headline ideas, structure).
• Rewrite in your voice: swap in your scenes, tighten rhythm, add a left-field analogy.
• Finish with a clean kicker. Leave the reader with a grin or a line that sticks.

The Bottom Line

Some jobs may go away. But people will keep installing toilet seats and getting trapped behind appliances, and those small domestic epics will keep feeding great writing. Use AI as a tool. Keep your edge by living a life worth writing about-and putting that life on the page with ruthless clarity.

Want practical AI options without losing your voice? Explore a curated list of AI tools for copywriting or browse courses by job to level up your workflow.