Maybe the thing start doing when new technologies come along is ask "how can we rearrange ourselves so that now everyone works less time than they did before?"
To some the price is acceptable, to others the price seems like it forces them 'to work as much as humanly possible regardless of how much stuff actually needs to be done'.
People can have different desires. Nothing confusing in there.
Visited Nairobi a few years back, and one of my partner’s local friends was complaining about the rent (one year for her in Nairobi was less than one month for me in Cambridge, because it was locals bidding against other locals for rent in both cases), but that friend was still able to get a smart phone (albeit a cheaper model than most people here would be OK with).
Maybe, but if doing that was my full time job then I would instantly feel less valuable and less secure.
I just don't buy the argument that AI/automation frees up time to do more valuable work at the individual level. Sure it's great for the organization. But if your job became obsolete tonight, simultaneously with thousands of other people, what "high value activities" would you do to earn money? I'm not saying that has happened but the day may be coming for us "knowledge workers".
The trend here is that knowledge work is becoming less valuable. Not everyone will be able to rise above the machines in this category.
Luckily we can probably still clean houses for a living, since it appears that robots will be able to write good code before they can wash dishes or make a bed.