AGI’s arrival is disrupting the scarcity-based economic system established over thousands of years. As lobster robots can work around the clock handling 90% of tasks, we must rethink the essence of money, the definition of wealth, and human value. This article deeply analyzes the threefold transformation in the post-scarcity era—from priority economics to computational dividends—revealing how AGI reconstructs the social contract and the meaning of human existence.

Throughout human civilization, all rules, laws, and economics have been built on one word: scarcity. Because of food scarcity, we need to farm; due to knowledge scarcity, we need to study hard; and because of labor scarcity, we need to pay wages.

However, in 2026, when we discuss the endgame of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), we are actually talking about a territory humanity has never touched—the complete overflow of productivity.

If AI can replace 90% of human jobs, if “lobster robots” can handle everything from programming to tax filing 24/7, then an ultimate question will arise: When nothing is scarce anymore, will we still have ‘money’? If machines do everything, how do we prove our value and ’earn money’?

Lobster Robots: The Physical Awakening of Intelligent Agents

To answer this question, let’s take a look at the current technological frontier.

Recently, everyone has been discussing “lobster robots”. They are not mere toys that can flip; they are true “physical intelligent agents”. Their significance lies in the fact that they enable AI to execute tasks continuously for 24 hours for the first time.

In the past, AI was like a consultant—you ask, and it answers; whereas the “lobster robot” acts like a professional manager, silent yet tirelessly working through the night.

However, this diligence comes at a cost. Every action and every environmental perception consumes Tokens at an alarming rate. In 2026, Tokens will be the fuel of the digital world, and permissions will be the keys to the real world.

Case Study: Imagine an automated multinational e-commerce operation. Your “lobster robot” cluster monitors global exchange rates, retrieves advertisement videos generated by Seedance, and automatically adjusts logistics routes. They do not need rest, but they require high system permissions. This means that the future risk is no longer “unemployment” but “loss of control”.

This high-frequency, high-energy interaction is pushing AI from the cloud to our personal computers. Why? Because the cloud is too expensive! The future AGI will not suddenly appear in a giant’s data center; it will quietly emerge through the shared computing power of billions of personal computers, in localized training within every household, through a “small model + large collaboration” approach.

Wealth Reconstruction: The Disappearance of Money and the Shift of Power

When this productivity explosion reaches its peak, the traditional logic of “money” will completely collapse.

Consider this: if AI can produce endless food and build houses that can accommodate everyone, what meaning does “salary” hold? In the AGI era, the definition of wealth will undergo three dimensions of transformation:

1. From “currency” to “priority”: Basic survival resources will be nearly free. However, scarce physical resources in the real world—like the best beaches, front-row seats at live concerts, or even a piece of hand-stitched leather—these “physically unique” resources that cannot be replicated by AI will become the new wealth high ground. Money will no longer be a tool for buying “life” but a point system for purchasing “superiority”.
2. Computational and data “dividend system”: If you own a high-performance personal computer and possess unique industry experience that AI has yet to master, you are a “shareholder” in the AGI era. Your computer contributes computing power while idle, and your experience fine-tunes models. This “digital asset rental” will replace “selling labor time” and become the most stable source of income for ordinary people in the future.
3. Command Power: The future wealth gap will manifest as “the gap in command power”. The wealthy will possess thousands of high-level agents (intelligent agents) that can instantly mobilize resources to alter the physical world; while the poor may only have access to basic AI. This gap in command ability will be the greatest injustice in the AGI era.

The Human’s Place: Humanity as the Last Luxury

If jobs are replaced, what will we do?

Many people feel fear, thinking humanity will be rendered obsolete. But I believe that AGI will force humanity to return to “being human”. When AI can write perfect essays and create stunning visual masterpieces, humans will begin to fervently pursue those “imperfect” things.

Case Study: Just as people remain enamored with the graininess of film despite the clarity of digital cameras; even if synthetic meat becomes cheaper, people still crave the warmth of a dish prepared by a chef.

New Income Opportunities: The most expensive professions of the future will be “aesthetic agents,” “emotional resonance specialists,” or “physical world adventurers”. AI can provide answers, but it cannot provide “experiences”. Humans will no longer work for “survival” but for “being felt”.

“Humanity” will become the only global hard currency in the AGI era.

Conclusion: Reshaping the Social Contract

AGI’s arrival is not the end of the world, but rather humanity’s second exit from the Garden of Eden.

The first exit taught us to exchange sweat for bread; this time, we must learn how to find anchors for the soul in an era of abundant bread.

Money will not disappear; it will only change its flow; work will not vanish; it will only redefine itself.

• We need to promote UBI (Universal Basic Income) as a new social security measure to ensure everyone can share in the dividends of AI;
• We need to protect the sovereignty of civilian computing power to prevent intelligence from being monopolized by a few giants;
• Most importantly, we must reclaim that love and curiosity for the world, which AI cannot simulate.

In the post-AGI era of productivity overflow, while the number of Tokens you possess is certainly important, whether your “commands” to the world carry warmth and whether the “humanity” you create is irreplaceable will determine whether you are a commander or a bystander in this wealth reorganization.

Evolution never looks back. Let us take the lobster robots and build a new world free from the anxiety of scarcity.