Shifting Grounds and Quantum Leaps

Jason Miller

Alright, welcome back to 'The Ubuntu Podcast Series – beyond borders, beyond ego.' I'm Jason Miller, joined as always by Philippe Funk, and today we’re wading into muddy territory: what happens when the ground beneath our jobs just gives way? I feel like in past episodes—especially our deep-dive into 2025’s weird mix of optimism and dread—we’ve circled this, but now it’s like, whoa, it’s actually happening way faster than anyone wanted to believe.

Philippe Funk

At record pace. Jason, can I start with a question? What’s the last ‘safe’ job you thought you saw, out in the wild, you know—one with a pension, predictable hours, maybe, dare I say, a union?

Jason Miller

Oh, man. I don’t know, was it mail carriers? No, even they’re facing sorting robots now. I mean—we keep hearing about these workforce shocks. Kodak is my go-to example: you probably remember how they went from thousands of decent-paying jobs to just, poof, nothing, almost overnight, after digital cameras and smartphones took over. Same thing in manufacturing—there’s a stat, I always mix it up, but it’s like millions of manufacturing jobs vaporized in the US in like a decade, mostly from automation and a bit of outsourcing sprinkled in.

Philippe Funk

And now it isn’t just blue-collar. This year, we saw IBM move faster than anyone thought possible—they rolled out new generative AI tools and laid off entire admin departments. Decades of service, replaced by an algorithm and a press release. Nobody wants to say it, but this isn’t some edge case anymore; it’s the new baseline, even for "white collar" workers.

Jason Miller

Exactly. Like, these jobs felt safe until they suddenly—weren’t. It’s gotten so, I don’t know, routine? People hear about another massive layoff and just kind of shrug, like 'Well, that’s business as usual now.' Except, man, for the people in the middle of it, it’s not usual at all.

Philippe Funk

But is it even the “layoffs” that hurt most—or, is it the sense that nothing, no skill, no degree, is safe for long? That’s what I hear at our institute. People retrain, do everything right, and their new profession is next on the chopping block. It’s industrialization on fast‑forward, but this time, the re‑skilling treadmill has no off button.

Jason Miller

That treadmill analogy—ouch, but true. And you know, this was a theme back in our 'Hello 2026' episode, all that talk about public trust and purpose? Feels like it’s only intensified, now that your job stability can evaporate at the speed of software deployment.

Jason Miller

So, where does that take us? Well, enter the gig economy. If we're being honest, I used to think gig work was for students making side cash, but now... it's how entire families pay the rent. Uber, DoorDash, the click-and-scroll world of Upwork—they’re all held up as signs of 'flexibility.' Is that what this is? Or is that just how we sugarcoat perpetual job insecurity?

Philippe Funk

I’d say that’s the story we’re sold, Jason. But let’s get real: gig and contract work do provide opportunity, but also perpetual instability. I mean, what’s the opposite of a career ladder? A hamster wheel, maybe. There’s always a new app, new rating system, and—surprise—no benefits, no safety net. It’s the psychological fallout that stays with me. So many workers trapped in a cycle where what they do one month might be obsolete the next.

Jason Miller

Yeah, that makes sense. You end up constantly looking over your shoulder, wondering if the algorithm's gonna turn you off tomorrow. I read a story, and I might have the numbers off, but something like 40% of Americans now do contract or gig work. That's not a side hustle anymore; that's the main gig for a lot of people.

Philippe Funk

Which brings me back to the big question: If no job is really built to last, can society still promise dignity—never mind benefits? How do we anchor a sense of worth in work that the system treats as disposable? Our digital identity discussions tie in here. If you’re just a rating on a platform, how do we ensure fairness, or even basic humanity?

Jason Miller

Right—back in episode three, we wrestled with digital identity not really capturing who we are. Now it's like, workers get reduced to a five-star review, or just another entry in a spreadsheet dashboard. I mean, it’s practical for the companies, but for the people? That’s a different story.

Philippe Funk

People are, frankly, exhausted. And some governments are starting to respond—hesitantly—with things like gig worker laws or social safety nets. But let’s not kid ourselves, the frameworks are creaking. We’re re‑negotiating the whole social contract, and nobody quite agrees what comes next.

Jason Miller

But that’s kind of the Ubuntu angle, right? We gotta remember there’s a human behind every user ID. If we don’t solve for dignity, sooner or later, the algorithms eat everyone.

Jason Miller

And speaking of algorithms eating the world... what happens when the math gets quantum? Let’s talk about quantum computing. It’s one of those buzzwords, everyone acts like they understand, but then you dig deeper and realize: most organizations are nowhere near ready for this.

Philippe Funk

Here’s where it gets fun—and frightening. People think quantum is just, you know, 'AI but faster.' But it isn’t; it’s a different beast. At policy briefings, I watch highly paid government advisors blank out when quantum comes up. Nobody wants to admit they don’t get it, so they nod along—and then don’t budget for it. I was on a panel last year; the tension was thick because quantum risks were the elephant in the room, but nobody wanted to whisper the word. It’s like if you don’t mention it, maybe it’ll go away.

Jason Miller

You get this same story on the industry side. Google makes headlines with Sycamore’s quantum supremacy, Europe launches this EuroQCI quantum network thing, and most business leaders still scramble just to update their passwords, let alone prepare for quantum hacking or new infrastructure. It’s wild—we’ve got global powers racing to build this future, but so few are even teaching the fundamentals.

Philippe Funk

Education gap, infrastructure gap—bigger than people want to admit. Europe’s trying with EuroQCI, but China? Every STEM student gets quantum theory drilled in early. And in the US, it’s more of a gold rush: private companies, patchwork government initiatives, and plenty of secrecy. Nobody wants to be the first to blink, but everyone’s bluffing a little.

Jason Miller

It’s that same feeling from earlier: a race where half the runners have never seen the track. I mean, if the backbone isn’t there—the training, the hardware, the awareness—what good does it do to own the best tech?

Philippe Funk

Right. It’s infrastructure, education, and, honestly, humility. If this race really heats up, the gaps will show at the worst possible moment. Maybe what we need is more openness about the uncertainty, more collaboration—and a return to that Ubuntu idea that we’re all downstream from each other's strengths and mistakes.

Jason Miller

Well said. And that’s probably a good place for us to hit pause, because we’ll definitely revisit the quantum rabbit hole—and the dignity of digital work—in future episodes. Philippe, always a pleasure unpicking these threads with you.

Philippe Funk

Thank you, Jason. And to our listeners, remember: the ground is always shifting, but we stand together—‘til next time.

Jason Miller

Catch you all on the next round of 'The Ubuntu Podcast Series.' Take care!