The argument is that some jobs exist for no defensible reason, and the people doing them often know it. The deeper question is what happens to a person when their dignity is tied to work they privately believe does not matter.
AI makes this question sharper.
If machines can do more of the work, but society still treats employment as proof of worth, then the real issue is not only automation. It is how we define useful work, dignity, and belonging when being busy is no longer enough.