If you drive for Uber, you work in a software supply chain. The software facilitates a bunch of people’s requests for the service, and decides when you—the driver—get to do a ride. The only reason you’re driving is because Uber’s software can’t drive the car itself yet. The second Uber invents a self-driving car, you’re going to be out of work.

If you drive a racecar, you work in a human supply chain. Because people love watching you drive, they follow you and show up wherever you happen to be driving. You build up a fanbase. Broadcast TV and social media helps amplify your performance, but software isn’t that close to replacing it yet. Your competitors are other people, and maybe eventually self-driving cars. As long as you can drive and cultivate your fanbase, though, you’ll be able to work. 

If you want to avoid being disrupted by AI, you need to set yourself up to work in a human supply chain. That is to say, a customer will pay you to do the work because you’re a person, not just because software can’t do it better yet.

Driving for Uber and driving a racecar may be a similar physical operation—you’re driving!—but it requires very different degrees of intention, dedication, and accountability.