HOMO OBSOLETUS

There is a morning that is coming. Maybe in ten years, maybe sooner. On that morning, millions of people will wake up and realize that their work is no longer needed. Not because they have failed. But because machines can do it better—faster, cheaper, and without stopping. “Homo Obsoletus” is the book that explains what is really happening—beyond scaremongering and false reassurance. Matthias Linke brings a perspective that is rarely found in this combination: business economist, organizational developer, lawyer, aerospace expert, entrepreneur—and, since 2025, father to a daughter who will come of age in eighteen years. This personal perspective runs throughout the entire book: What lies ahead? What is at stake? And what can we still decide for ourselves? The book takes the reader on a journey through four dimensions of the greatest economic transformation of our time. It shows why humanoid robots fit into our world without a single square meter needing to be rebuilt. It explains why no company can escape the business logic of automation in the long run. It analyzes who is liable when autonomous systems cause harm. And it asks the questions that very few people voice aloud: What happens to us when work disappears—not just economically, but as a source of identity, structure, and meaning? This book is for everyone who wants to understand the headlines—not just read them. For executives who need to plan strategically. For young people who want to know what they should prepare for. And for everyone who wonders what will remain of us when machines take over the heavy lifting. The answer is surprisingly optimistic. But the path to it requires clarity—and the courage to stop putting off uncomfortable questions.