Do You Really Need a Human to Do That Job?

This article is part of Forms From the Future, a series in which Rose Eveleth imagines the bureaucratic paperwork of tomorrow and what it says about our impending realities. At many large companies, before you can get a new computer or server or device, you have to fill out a form that tells the company not just why you need the item but who will pay for it and who is responsible for it. But as the sorts of work that humans and machines do collapse down even further, that might change. Let's say you're a manager at a big box store or a fast-food franchise or even a hospital. You might also need to fill out paperwork justifying your request for an actual person to pull boxes from a shelf, check people out at a store, deliver medication, or make a hamburger.